Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will travel to Shenzhen, China, for an important meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders on 18 and 19 November.
The meeting is called APEC, which stands for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. Each year, leaders from countries around the Asia-Pacific meet there to talk about keeping the region safe and helping it do well.
APEC matters a lot to New Zealand. Countries in the group buy about 75 percent of everything New Zealand sells overseas – roughly three out of every four dollars’ worth.
Mr Luxon is going as a “caretaker” Prime Minister, because the country held an election on 7 November. A caretaker government keeps things running until the next government is sorted out, and it usually checks with the Opposition before making big decisions.
The government says New Zealand will take part in the meetings this way, after talking with the Opposition. Trade Minister Todd McClay will go with Mr Luxon.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will go to a separate meeting, the East Asia Summit, in Manila in the Philippines, on 16 and 17 November.
New Zealand was in a similar spot after the 2023 election. That year, Labour Trade Minister Damien O’Connor went instead, while talks to form a new government were still going on.
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