BEIJING (AP) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is to visit China next week, in a possible easing of recent tensions over a block on the purchase of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei’s 5G equipment.
Ardern will be in China on Sunday and Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a daily briefing Monday. He gave no details about her itinerary.
Relations between China and New Zealand have been strained in recent months after New Zealand’s spy agency in November stopped mobile phone company Spark from using Huawei equipment in its planned 5G upgrade. The agency said the Chinese tech giant’s equipment posed a “significant network security risk.”
New Zealand has been caught in the fray as the U.S. cautions allies against partnering with Huawei over national security concerns. The country is part of the “Five Eyes” security alliance along with the U.S., Britain, Canada and Australia.
At the same time, China is New Zealand’s largest trading partner and a key customer for its dairy and other agricultural products. Ardern said last month that no final decision has been made on whether Huawei equipment can be used in the country’s slated 5G network.
Since taking office in 2017, Ardern has promised to travel to China to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, but said an official visit was delayed as a result of scheduling difficulties.
New Zealand was shaken earlier this month by shooting attacks on two mosques in the city of Christchurch that left 50 people dead.
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