New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said Thursday that he did not agree with US President Joe Biden's remark that Chinese President was a dictator.
This came during a press conference published by one news channel.
"No, and the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people," said Hipkins.
Hipkins will visit China from June 25 to 30, leading a trade delegation including some of New Zealand's largest companies, where he will meet with the Chinese president, Premier Li Qiang and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Zhao Lijie.
New Zealand relies heavily on China for trade, as Beijing is Wellington's largest trading partner by a large margin, while the relationship between the two countries has been strained in recent years due to China's assertive endeavors to expand its interests in the Pacific region, human rights violations in Xinjiang province and crackdowns in Hong Kong. The US president's statement sparked immediate opposition from Beijing, with Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning saying that Biden's comment was a "political provocation."
Source: Kuwait News Agency