New Zealand and China on Thursday signed agreements on trade and climate change, with human rights also on the agenda, during a trip by Premier Li Qiang, the highest level Chinese visit to New Zealand in seven years. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is seeking to balance rights and security concerns with the lucrative trade opportunities offered by Beijing, the country’s largest export partner. “The Premier and I discussed our significant economic relationship, which benefits people in both countries with two-way trade in goods worth nearly NZ$38 billion ($23.43 billion),” Luxon said. Li was greeted on the lawns of Government House in the capital Wellington by both Luxon and the governor-general and participated in a traditional Indigenous Maori welcome before heading inside for meetings. “We agreed that it is important to expand cooperation on trade and investment,” Li said following the meeting. “China is ready to be part of New Zealand’s endeavour to double the value of exports in next decade.”