The pair shook hands and grinned for the cameras before getting down to business. The meeting was scheduled for 40 minutes but went for over an hour.
Xi delivered a short speech welcoming Luxon to China, saying it was a “great pleasure” to meet him again.
“I appreciate your positive attitude, and I’m ready to work together with you for new progress for our comprehensive strategic partnership in a new decade, and this will certainly better serve our two peoples.”
Luxon responded by saying it was a “real pleasure to be able to return to China”.
“The world looks to China as a major global power to play a constructive role in addressing many of the challenges that are facing us all. And in this context, New Zealand’s dialogue with China is more important than ever,” Luxon said.
“The stability in our region and our deep and abiding support for the rules-based system are fundamental to New Zealand’s interests,” the NZ leader said.
Addressing Xi personally, Luxon said, “Our bilateral relationship is long-standing and is of great importance to New Zealand. The relationship is flourishing”.
He said that this was partly thanks to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced by Xi 11 years ago.
Luxon said there were 280,000 Chinese New Zealanders who made a “great contribution” to the country.
He said the Government had “big ambitions to grow the New Zealand economy” and that trade with China would make a “big contribution” to that growth.