China and New Zealand should promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and provide a better business environment for each other's enterprises to invest and operate in their countries, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday during a meeting with visiting Prime Minister of New Zealand Chris Hipkins in Beijing.

China has always treated New Zealand as a friend and partner, and is ready to promote the sound and steady China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership, Xi said.

He called on both sides to continue to see each other as partners rather than opponents, as opportunities rather than threats, and consolidate the foundation for the development of bilateral relations.

Both countries should strengthen exchanges and cooperation in fields such as education, culture and tourism, and foster more people like "Rewi Alley" in the new era, said Xi. Alley was a New Zealand-born educator who lived and worked in China for more than 60 years.

Xi called on both sides to jointly advocate true multilateralism and free trade, implement the upgraded protocol of China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), work together to address global challenges such as climate change, and maintain communication and work together to help Pacific island countries develop.

Hipkins said New Zealand attaches great importance to the development of relations with China, and his visit to China with a large economic and trade delegation is to explore more opportunities for cooperation and to promote the new level of relations between the two countries.

New Zealand is willing to strengthen personnel exchanges with China, continue to expand and deepen cooperation between the two countries in the fields of trade and economy, education, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges, and jointly implement the upgraded protocol of the FTA between the two countries, he said.

Hipkins said his country believes that differences should not define bilateral relations, and that it is important to have candid communication and mutual respect, adding that New Zealand is willing to maintain communication with China on helping the Pacific island countries develop.