Beijing. China and New Zealand should strive to provide a fair, transparent and convenient environment for companies from both countries, and China is willing to support competitive companies to invest in New Zealand, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday, during the latter’s visit to China, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The two sides agreed to continuously enrich the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership based on the principles of mutual trust and mutual benefit, Xinhua said.

China and New Zealand must trust each other and enhance mutual understanding if the two want to forge new opportunities, Xi said.

Xi sent sincere condolences to Ardern over the Christchurch mosque terrorist attack, saying that Ardern’s visit during this time shows that she and the New Zealand government attach great importance to the bilateral relationship.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also met with Ardern on Monday.

Li hailed the economic relationship between China and New Zealand, saying it is at the forefront of cooperation between China and Western countries. He urged both countries to provide a fair investment environment for companies and to hasten negotiations on an updated Free Trade Agreement (FTA), according to a notice on China’s State Council website.

In response, Ardern said that New Zealand welcomes investment from Chinese companies and will not discriminate against any company from any country. She also noted that New Zealand will join with China to push forward the FTA negotiations.

Ardern’s visit comes after a souring of the bilateral relationship caused by issues such as New Zealand’s criticism of China’s influence and the rejected Huawei bid to build a 5G mobile network in the country.

The Prime Minister’s visit, coming soon after the Christchurch mosque tragedy on March 15, shows New Zealand’s sincerity to China, said Chinese experts.

New Zealand has been under pressure after ties with China deteriorated, because the country’s economy relies heavily on international trade. China is its largest trading partner and second-largest source of foreign tourists, Yu Lei, a research fellow at the Australian Studies Center at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Monday.

China entered into an FTA with New Zealand, the first Western country to do so, in 2008, which has helped the Asian giant grow to become New Zealand’s largest goods export partner.

Stephen Jacobi, executive director of the New Zealand-China Council, said during a Sunday interview with 1 News Now, a New Zealand television station, that Ardern’s visit will give her an opportunity to “explain New Zealand’s decision-making.”

Yu mentioned that some of New Zealand’s decisions that have harmed bilateral relations have emanated from some Western countries. “Some Western countries such as the US pressured New Zealand because it fears that China’s investment in this country will touch their piece of the pie,” said Yu.

He also stressed that the US has changed its policies toward its allies, so some of them, like Australia and Canada, have begun to realize the cost of standing by the US to confront China.

By enhancing cooperation with China, New Zealand certainly has a clearer vision of the current situation, said Yu.

Ardern stressed that New Zealand has a tradition of making independent diplomatic polices, adding that the country will make decisions that suits its national interests.

(In association with Global Times)