Christopher Luxon heads into his meeting with China's President Xi Jinping on Friday with an ever-growing list of topics to discuss - as geopolitics muscles to the fore.
Luxon is in Beijing for the last day of his three-day visit to China, which has so far seen the PM take part in a blitz of business events in Shanghai, witnessing commercial deals with a claimed value of $871 million.
The focus on trade, though, has been somewhat waylaid by geopolitical issues, beginning with a warning from former politicians that New Zealand was antagonising China by drawing too close to the United States.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon arrives in Beijing. Photo: Dan Brunskill
At the same time, Israel and Iran are in open warfare, with the US and China backing opposing sides. Luxon has called for calm, pleading for "negotiation diplomacy".
Then Thursday brought revelations New Zealand had halted nearly $20 million of funding for the Cook Islands after the agreements it signed with China earlier this year.
The government's dispute is primarily with the Cook Islands for failing to first consult New Zealand, but it speaks to a broader disagreement with China over its increasing assertiveness in the Pacific.
Earlier this year, China blindsided New Zealand and Australia with its combat drills in the Tasman Sea, launched with little notice.
The crowded topics are likely to feature in Luxon's conversations on Friday, to varying degrees.
Christopher Luxon was greeted on the tarmac by Chinese Minister of Customs Sun Meijun. Photo: Dan Brunskill
Minnow meets mammoth, NZ meets China
Luxon will take part in three separate meetings with China's power players at the Great Hall of the People, a grand state building on the edge of Tiananmen Square.
He will sit down with President Xi on Friday at about 2:30pm (NZT), their second official meeting after a bilateral at APEC in November last year.
Shortly before the sit-down, Luxon will meet Zhao Leji, the chair of the National People's conference, number three in the hierarchy.
Later that evening, Luxon is expected to return to the Great Hall for an official welcome ceremony with the traditional honour guard and anthems.
He will then meet his counterpart Premier Li Qiang at about 9pm (NZT) and take part in a signing ceremony to close out his China trip.
Luxon has declined to outline the subjects he intends to discuss with China's top brass but told reporters the two countries had "huge areas of collaboration".
Photo: Dan Brunskill
The final push in Shanghai
One area of "collaboration" earlier announced was the so-called "Southern Link" flight route between China and South America, stopping in Auckland.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at Trip.com headquarters in Shanghai. Photo: RNZ / Craig McCulloch
Subject to final regulatory approvals, China Eastern Airlines will begin two flights a week from Shanghai to Auckland, and then on to Buenos Aires in Argentina.
To ease the passage, Luxon also announced Chinese travellers on the route would no longer require expensive transit visas.
He told reporters he had been interested in the idea "for some time".
Luxon disputed, however, that the project was part of the controversial "Belt and Road" initiative as it had been characterised by China Eastern Airlines chair Wang Zhiqing.
"It's a commercial deal," Luxon said. "We don't have any current… projects with China through the Belt and Road Initiative."
In early 2017, the then-National government signed a memorandum with China proposing to work on the BRI, but New Zealand has not since pursued such projects.
Many Western nations - including NZ's Five Eyes partners - consider the Belt and Road initiative to be a bid by China to grow its influence.
Luxon's final hours in Shanghai included a meeting with the city's highest ranked official Party Secretary of Shanghai Chen Jining.
He also attended an event at the prestigious Fudan University where Victoria University of New Zealand celebrated a suite of partnership agreements.
The PM also took questions from students. After receiving applause after one answer, Luxon queried whether that was a normal response in China: "It's not so normal back home, but it's lovely."
He also complimented one Kiwi student's question, saying: "You can tell we send our brightest students overseas."
A key focus of Luxon's visit has been to encourage Chinese students back to New Zealand with numbers still not back at pre-pandemic levels.
Fanfare for Christopher Luxon at the airport in Beijing. Photo: Dan Brunskill
Luxon wrapped up his second full day in China attending an evening Matatiki reception at New Zealand's embassy in Beijing.
Te Matatini champions Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue, who are travelling with the delegation, flew ahead earlier in the day to prepare for their performance.
