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BEIJING, March 29-- "The New Zealand-China relationship has grown in breadth and depth in recent years. And we're looking for fresh momentum to two-way links as a result of Prime Minister Ardern's visit across a range of areas of cooperation," New Zealand Ambassador to China Clare Fearnley said here on Friday. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will pay an official visit to China from March 31 to April 1 at the invitation of her Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. "We're very much looking forward to the visit. High-level contact of this sort is of great benefit to bilateral relations," Fearnley said in an interview with Xinhua. Once a student at Peking University in the 1980s and Consul-General in Shanghai from 1998 to 2002, Fearnley herself is a witness of the development of bilateral ties. When asked about her China experiences, Fearnley said: "Chinese people bring China to life for me. From deep conversations with old friends to simple exchanges with taxi drivers or in a restaurant over a bowl of noodles, I find curiosity, warmth and a sense of humor amongst Chinese people." She stressed that people-to-people connections will carry the bilateral relationship into the future. With its breathtaking scenery, the island country in the South Pacific Ocean has long been a dream destination for Chinese tourists. The ambassador told Xinhua that the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism would be launched on March 30, one day before the prime minister's upcoming visit. | 
