On January 12 and 13 2022，His Excellency Ambassador Wang Xiaolong presented the Working Copies of Letters of Credence respectively to Lisa White, Acting Chief of Protocol of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and H.E. Elizabeth Wright-Koteka, High Commissioner of the Cook Islands to New Zealand.
To the New Zealand side, Ambassador Wang Xiaolong indicates that he is very privileged to serve as the 14th Ambassador of China to New Zealand and would like to make relentless efforts to deepen the China-NZ friendship and cooperation. Despite the long distance and differences between the two countries in development stages, history and culture, China and New Zealand share a lot in common. Both countries are devoted to promoting social and economic development and improving their people’s well-being. Both are committed to upholding multilateralism and free trade and safeguarding peace and prosperity of the region and the world. Cooperation remains the mainstream of the China-NZ relations, and both sides have benefited a lot from the robust relations. China attaches great importance to developing relations with New Zealand and highly values the unique role that New Zealand plays in regional and international arenas. China would like to work with the New Zealand side to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, jointly make celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties a great success, and maintain the China-NZ Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on the sound and stable track.
On behalf of the New Zealand government, Lisa White welcomes Ambassador Wang Xiaolong to assume the office of Ambassador to New Zealand and pledges to offer support and assistance for that purpose. Lisa White reiterates that New Zealand underscores the importance of its relations with China and looks forward to enhancing communications and exchanges with China for greater development of the bilateral relations.
To the Cook Islands side, Ambassador Wang Xiaolong states that the constant enhancement of bilateral political trust and ever expanding practical cooperation has brought about tangible benefits to the peoples of both China and Cook Islands. China appreciates the Cook Islands’ firm adherence to the one China principle. In the collective meeting between President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the Pacific Island Countries with diplomatic ties with China, the leaders upgraded the bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership featuring mutual respect and common development, and charted the roadmap for the development of China’s relations with the Pacific Island Countries including the Cook Islands. The first China-Pacific Island Countries Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was concluded with consensus on a broad range of issues and concrete deliverables, providing new opportunities for China and the Cook Islands to deepen and broaden cooperation. Highly valuing the relations with the Cook Islands, China would take the opportunity of the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties with the Cook Islands to jointly strengthen dialogues and communications and tap the potential for cooperation with a view to achieving constant new development in the bilateral relations. China understands the Cook Islands’ particular concerns on climate change and would like to provide support to the best of its ability and work with the Cook Islands to promote international cooperation in addressing climate change.
On behalf of the Cook Islands government, High Commissioner Elizabeth Wright-Koteka welcomes Ambassador Wang Xiaolong on starting the tenure of Ambassador to the Cook Islands and indicates that the Cook Islands is willing to enhance communications and exchanges with China to explore approaches and areas to enrich the bilateral cooperation and expects more active achievements to better benefit the two peoples. The Cook Islands High Commission in New Zeanland would be happy to serve as the bridge to that end.