"We were pleased to reconnect with Foreign Minister Wang. We have known each other for many years, and today we continued our wide-ranging and constructive dialogue," said Mr. Peters.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters has reinforced New Zealand’s commitment to practical cooperation with Mongolia following his recent visit to Ulaanbaatar. The visit marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations and was the first by a New Zealand Foreign Minister since 2013.

Recent unprecedented live-fire drills by China's navy in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand were "totally in line with international law", a spokesperson for its defence ministry said on Thursday.

His decades of interaction with China will be invaluable for talks with leaders that seem certain to include the issue of warships conducting live fire exercises off Australia.

New Zealand is calling for “consultation and transparency” as a deal struck between the Cook Islands and China is released as tensions over the agreement persist. The “Action Plan 2025-2030″ for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Cook Islands and the People’s Republic of China was published this afternoon following weeks of speculation and a visit to China by Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown last week.

The Foreign Minister needs to restate the relationship with the Cook Islands during talks with his Chinese counterpart, former prime minister Helen Clark says.