On 5 November, Ambassador Zhao Xing met with Mr John McKinnon, Chair of the New Zealand China Council (NZCC).

Zhao Xing thanked Mr McKinnon and the NZCC for their long-standing contributions to China–New Zealand friendship. He noted that next year marks both the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the 100th anniversary of Rewi Alley's arrival in China, and expressed the hope that the two sides will seize this opportunity to take practical cooperation across various fields to a new level. Zhao Xing also briefed Mr McKinnon on the guiding principles of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Mr McKinnon welcomed Ambassador Zhao to his new post and said that the NZCC has long been committed to promoting exchanges and cooperation between the two countries across a wide range of fields. He congratulated China on the successful convening of the Fifth Plenary Session, noting that China's efforts to modernize its national governance and pursue high-standard opening-up will further expand the scope for bilateral trade and two-way investment.