WELLINGTON - China and New Zealand announced Thursday that they have decided to elevate their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The decision to upgrade the China-New Zealand comprehensive cooperative relationship was made during talks here between visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

On the basis of mutual understanding, inclusiveness and equality, China and New Zealand have built high-level political mutual trust and carried out mutually beneficial cooperation in a wide range of areas, Xi said.

The people in both countries support the development of bilateral ties, for which the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership has charted the future direction, Xi added.

The two countries, he proposed, need to maintain high-level contact and form a multi-layer, multi-channel pattern of bilateral exchanges and cooperation.

Calling for an early realization of the new goal of increasing bilateral trade to 30 billion New Zealand dollars (about $23.5 billion) by 2020, Xi said the two sides should further consolidate cooperation in traditional areas like agriculture and animal husbandry.

"China, with a population of over 1.3 billion, has a huge market, while New Zealand's high-quality products like dairy, wool, mutton, beef and seafood are well-received in China," Xi said.

He called upon the New Zealand side to guarantee the safety of its exports to China and protect the rights and interests of Chinese consumers.

Also, Xi called for more bilateral cooperation in such areas as financial service, information technology, energy conservation, environmental protection and bio-medicine.

These are the key areas for China's development in the future, while New Zealand enjoys competitiveness in them, Xi noted.

Earlier this month, China hosted the 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders' Meeting in Beijing, where member economies launched the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific process.

Noting that China and New Zealand are both APEC members and negotiating parties of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Xi urged the two sides to enhance coordination and cooperation within these mechanisms and advance economic integration in the Asia-Pacific.

Specifically, Xi said, China and New Zealand can join hands in helping forge a regional free trade arrangement that benefits all parties and establishing the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Describing the South Pacific as a natural extension of China's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative, he said Beijing welcomes New Zealand's participation in the program, which will generate greater progress in bilateral economic and trade collaboration.

Meanwhile, the two countries should enhance people-to-people exchanges so as to promote mutual understanding and friendship, he said, announcing that China will set up a Chinese culture center in New Zealand.

He also referred to an agreement the two countries have reached on jointly producing TV programs, noting that the deal is the first of its kind between China and a foreign government.

The two countries, Xi said, should also strengthen exchanges on defense and law enforcement, and promote cooperation in anti-corruption and the tracking of corrupt Chinese officials and their illicit assets.

"China is willing to enhance cooperation with New Zealand on issues related to Antarctica and Pacific island nations," Xi added.

For his part, Key hailed the remarkable progress of New Zealand-China ties and the two countries' ever deepening and expanding cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations 42 years ago, saying that the two countries have now become good partners.

New Zealand is committed to working with China to consolidate the comprehensive strategic partnership, and will continue supporting Beijing on issues regarding China's core interests and major concerns, Key said.

Speaking highly of the achievements in bilateral cooperation since the pair signed a free trade agreement six years ago, he said New Zealand wishes to export more agricultural and dairy products to China and welcomes Chinese investment.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand leader vowed to simplify the visa application process for Chinese citizens and lauded China's exemplary efforts in saving energy and cutting emissions.

Xi and Key also witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in such areas as climate change, education, Antarctica, finance, tourism and food safety.

New Zealand is the second leg of Xi's ongoing three-nation South Pacific tour. He attended a Group of Twenty summit in the Australian city of Brisbane and paid a state visit to Australia earlier in the trip, which will also take him to Fiji.