Cuddly pandas, deadly torpedoes and Chinese food safety will be among the talking points when Prime Minister John Key travels to Asia next week.Mr Key leaves on Saturday for a 10-day tour of Korea, China and Vietnam, regarding China as the most important
Cuddly pandas, deadly torpedoes and Chinese food safety will be among the talking points when Prime Minister John Key travels to Asia next week.
Mr Key leaves on Saturday for a 10-day tour of Korea, China and Vietnam, regarding China as the most important part of the visit.
There would be a lot to discuss in his formal meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao -- "starting with pandas", he said.
Mr Key wants two endangered Chinese giant pandas for a zoo in New Zealand and has floated the idea of trading two kiwi for them.
Zoos in Adelaide and San Diego, which have pandas, have paid US$1 million ($NZ1.4 million) a year to have them for 10 years. At the end of that decade the pandas, and any cubs they might have, return to China.
"My idea was, look, I know people pay $10m but we're a special friend of China, why couldn't we give them some kiwis?" Mr Key said.
The leaders would also discuss the wider relationship between China and New Zealand and how to build on the success of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), he said.
China has raised the issue of getting New Zealand's help to improve its domestic food safety. A programme was created and would be discussed, Mr Key said.
Food safety issues in China were highlighted in 2008, when melamine-contaminated baby formula made by Fonterra's Chinese joint venture Sanlu was blamed for the death of four children and injury of many more.
Mr Key will also meet President Hu Jintao in Beijing, and host New Zealand's national day at the World Expo in Shanghai.
The Expo expected 70 million visitors over six months, with about a 10th of those expected to tour New Zealand's pavilion. The Government spent $30 million on the pavilion, next door to the Chinese one.
Mr Key said it was a "strategic and prime piece of real estate".
The World Expo was an opportunity for countries to show case themselves, Mr Key told NZPA.
"To put on display an give visitors a sense of the flavour of New Zealand."
The pavilion was predominately being used to market tourism opportunities, the "smart parts" of the economy and promote New Zealand food and culture.
"It's the opportunity for someone to get a virtual experience of visiting New Zealand."
The relationship with China has become one of our most important, with China a major global power, New Zealand's second-largest trading partner and a major source of migrants, students and tourists.
Mr Key visited China in April 2009.
While New Zealand was in negotiations for an FTA with Korea, Mr Key said a finalised deal was unlikely out of this trip.
However, there should be "quite significant" progress.
The countries were at a "critical point" in those negotiations, he said.
"Officials have moved a long way but some political encouragement is required."
Mr Key will meet with President Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Chung Un-chan.
"Obviously we see it as a fast-growing and important market."
Mr Key will also commemorate New Zealand's commitment to the Korean War 60 years ago with a visit to the demilitarised zone (DMZ) -- the strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea.
He will discuss the current security situation on the Korean Peninsula following the North Korean torpedoing of a South Korean navy ship.
New Zealand condemned North Korea after an inquiry found it caused the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan on March 26.
Fifty-eight sailors were rescued, but 46 died -- South Korea's worst military disaster since a truce ended the three-year Korean War in 1953.
That matter has been referred to the United Nations Security Council.
New Zealand's relationship with Korea goes back to soon after the end of the Korean War. Korea is an increasingly important trade partner for New Zealand with an FTA currently under negotiation.
Another anniversary will be marked in Vietnam -- the 35th of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Vietnam following the war there.
While the Government did see some "real trading opportunities" with Vietnam there were currently no formal FTA negotiations.
It was an "increasingly interesting tourist destination" for New Zealanders, Mr Key said.
New Zealand has had a relationship with Vietnam for 35 years but only opened an embassy there in 1995.
The rapid economic growth in Vietnam makes it an important future trading partner for New Zealand.
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark led the last visit there by a New Zealand leader in 2003.
Mr Key's wife and two children will travel with him.
The trip will allow them to experience some new thing and have some time with Mr Key -- "albeit on a plane, it looks like a pretty busy schedule".
