Ardern invited to China by Premier Li Keqiang

Premier Li Keqiang invited Jacinda Ardern to visit China during a meeting they held on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Manila last night.

Ardern did not speak to reporters afterwards but a spokesman said the pair spoke about the upgrade of the China-New Zealand free trade agreement which is underway.

The spokesman said Li noted it had been the last Labour Government which had signed the FTA - in 2008.

Li had also been keen to hear from the new Prime Minister that the overall approach to relations with China would be broadly the same.

Li most recently visited New Zealand in March this year and expressed a hope to get back soon.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart from China, Wang Yi, a few days ago in Vietnam on the sidelines of Apec, where the issue of Chinese fugitives in New Zealand was discussed.

Ardern and Peters have said the issue of the imminent ban on offshore foreign speculators buying houses and farms in New Zealand had not been raised with them by any countries.

Ardern spends her last day in Manila today speaking to a meeting of New Zealand businesses operating in Manila.

She also has more bilateral meetings before attending the East Asia Summit - a meeting of the 10 Asean countries plus New Zealand, Australia, United States, Japan, South Korea, India, China and Russia.