New Zealand-China partnership forum could move to 2013

WELLINGTON, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Plans to launch a high-level New Zealand-China Partnership Forum in Beijing this year are likely to be put back to next year in order to allow China's incoming new leadership to deal with other international issues first, a senior New Zealand official told Xinhua Friday.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key had hoped to lead a delegation to launch the forum to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations this year, but it was now hoped the visit could take place in the first half of 2013, New Zealand China Council chairman Sir Don McKinnon said.

"The forum or the likelihood of the prime minister going to China before Christmas is almost zero now," McKinnon told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

"With there being a new leadership and a new cast of players and a lot of people wanting to meet the new leadership, we decided to take the advice of our Chinese contacts and move it to next year."

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