Key and Wen to discuss China's human rights, Dalai Lama

Concerns that aid from China to Fiji could undermine international efforts to restore democracy to the troubled Pacific nation may be addressed at a top level meeting in Beijing, Prime Minister John Key said today.

Mr Key is scheduled to hold talks with Premier Wen Jiabao tonight.

The primary focus will be on strengthening economic ties and building upon the trade agreement signed with China one year ago.

However the meeting is also likely to touch on thornier issues such as China's human rights record and China's desire for the Dalai Lama to be shunned by New Zealand and Fiji.

Some fear that China will undermine sanctions against the military regime in Fiji by handing out aid directly to the self-appointed government.

Mr Key said if there was time at the meeting and it was appropriate he would raise the issue.

"Well directed aid plays an important part in the Pacific and we are keen to work with the Chinese and others where it makes sense to co-ordinate that aid. Our concern is obvious really, which is that the risk, in the case of Fiji, is that they can circumvent the process if aid is not well directed," Mr Key said.

Asked if he would request China to join in sanctions, Mr Key said: "We are not planning to and I think it unlikely they would agree."

China was a sovereign nation like New Zealand and would decide its own course.

"In the end countries have their own unilateral right to determine their own aid programme and the appropriateness of that, but from our point of view we care deeply about the regional governance issues and the stability of the Pacific, so we wouldn't like to see things that undermine that process."

Mr Key said there had been no pressure at last night's meeting with President Hu Jintao not to meet the Dalai Lama, but at official levels the Chinese have made it clear it was an issue of concern to them.

The main focus of the meeting would be how to increase trade with China and build on the free trade agreement.

Today New Zealand is signing an agreement with China where both countries will promise to work together to increase tourism between the two countries.

Tourists from China have increased sixfold in the past 10 years and the country is the fifth largest source of visitors with 112,000 coming last year, boosting the economy by $300 million.

"One of the very positive steps is that we have received confirmation that Air New Zealand has a new take-off slot from Beijing which is more sympathetic to the local conditions, it will land (in New Zealand) at 5am instead of landing at 3am or 2am," Mr Key said.

"It is a more friendly time for New Zealanders returning home and for business people coming into New Zealand and secondly it will allow them to travel to other parts of New Zealand, to get off that plane and fly, say, to Wellington."

Air NZ was also looking to beef up its service to China. In Beijing today Mr Key was signing an agreement on tourism and giving a speech at Peking University, before meeting with Premier Wen.

On Thursday he travels to Shanghai for a series of business focused events before going to the Boao Forum in Sanya over the weekend.

The forum is China's regional economic forum which many regional leaders and business people attend.

Mr Key will be hoping that this leg of his first foray into Asia as prime minister will go more smoothly than the first.

He had been hoping to attend the East Asian Summit last weekend, but got no further than Bangkok airport as anti-government protesters invaded the venue and forced its cancellation.

- NZPA