A week after meeting with Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the White House, the US president has hosted New Zealand prime minister John Key, telling reporters they discussed plans for "robust action" on climate change.

Barack Obama says the two leaders had a good conversation about climate change and their plans for action at the 2015 Paris conference.

It comes after Mr Obama and Mr Abbott noted they had different approaches to tackling emissions during wide-ranging talks last week.

"New Zealand, I think, has been an excellent partner with us and other economies recognising that this is a threat none of us can solve individually, that we're going to have to work on together," Mr Obama said.

"So we discussed our plans for putting forward robust action in 2015 with the upcoming Paris conference."

The United Nations Climate Change conference will be held in Paris in December next year in a bid to get all countries to adopt an agreement to be implemented from 2020.

During their hour-long meeting Mr Key and the president also discussed trade negotiations and welcomed the peaceful rise of China, while stressing the importance of resolving maritime disputes in accordance with international law.

Mr Obama and Mr Key are both proponents of a proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade deal that would encompass 40 per cent of the global economy and both expressed hopes long-running negotiations could be concluded soon.

Mr Obama also complimented New Zealand for its role in peacekeeping operations and for cooperating with Washington on intelligence matters.

"I think it's fair to say that the US-New Zealand relationship has never been stronger," he said.

Mr Key said after the talks that he particularly appreciated Mr Obama's global leadership, at a time when the president is juggling deepening crises in Iraq and in Ukraine.

"We know that it's never an easy day in the office here in the Oval Office," Mr Key said.

ABC/AFP