Before 1980, there were very few military exchanges between China and New Zealand.

In July 1987, two Royal New Zealand Navy frigates HMNZS Canterbury and HMNZS Southland visited Shanghai.

With the continuous advancement of Sino-New Zealand relations, relations between the two armed forces have experienced gradual development since 1990.

In May 1996, Mr. Xiong Guangkai, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the PLA of China made a working visit to New Zealand. He met with Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Paul East, Minister of Defense and held talks with Mr. Gerald Hensley, Secretary of Defense and Lieutenant General L. Birks, Chief of the Defense Force.

In March 1997, Mr. Gerald Hensley, Secretary of Ministry of Defense of New Zealand made the first ever visit to China by a senior official of the New Zealand armed forces, during which the two sides agreed to further strengthen the high level strategic dialogue and exchange resident Defense attaches.

1998 was a very important year for relations between the armed forces of China and New Zealand. In January, China's first resident Defense Attache arrived in New Zealand. In February, at the invitation of Hon. Max Bradford, Minister of Defense of New Zealand, Mr. Chi Haotian, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, State Councilor and Minister of Defense of China visited New Zealand and met respectively with Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley, Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Don McKinnon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon. Max Bradford, Minister of Defence, Mr. Gerald Hensley, Secretary of Defense and Mr. L. Birks, Chief of the Defense Force. In April, at the invitation of the Royal New Zealand Navy, China's PLA Navy vessels "Qingdao" and "Shichang" made a port call to Auckland Port. This was the first visit to New Zealand ever by Chinese navy fleet. From late August to early September, Hon. Max Bradford, Minister of Defense of New Zealand visited China at the invitation of Mr. Chi Haotian, Minister of Defense of China and called on Mr. Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and held talks with Mr. Chi Haotian, Minister of Defense. In September, Air Commodore Smith, Air Officer Commanding RNZAF Air Command visited China as head of a delegation of Royal New Zealand Air Force Command and Staff College. This was the first visit to China by a delegation from New Zealand military colleges. In October, HMNZS Wellington and HMNZS Endeavor arrived in Qingdao. This was a return visit to the visit to New Zealand by China's Navy fleet in April.

In January, 1999, the first resident Defense Attache of New Zealand arrived in Beijing. In July, Mr. Chris Elder, Deputy Secretary of New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, came to Beijing and held the first China/New Zealand consulting on regional security with Mr. Wang Guangya, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China. In November, at the invitation of the Ministry of Defence of New Zealand, Gen.Yu Yongbo, Director of the P.L.A. General Political Department of China, visited New Zealand and met with Hon Max Bradford, Minister of Defence of New Zealand, A.M. Kelly Adamson, Chief of the Defence Force of New Zealand, and R.Gentles, the acting Secretary of Defence of New Zealand. In December, at the invitation of the Headquarters of the General Staff of the P.L.A. of China, Maj. Gen. Maurice Dodson , the Chief of General Staff of the New Zealand visited China and met with Mr Chi Haotian, Minister of Defence of China. This is the first visit to China by the Chief of Staff of New Zealand.

In March, 2000, Lt. Gen. Liu Shunshun, the Commander of the P.L.A. Air Force, visited New Zealand and met with Hon. Mark Burton, Minister of Defence of New Zealand, A.M. Kelly Adamson, Chief of New Zealand Defence Force, and Mr Graham Fortune, secretary of Defence of New Zealand.

In October, 2000, A.M. Kelly Adamson, Chief of New Zealand Defence Force, visited China at the invitation of Chief of Staff Fu Quanyou. Mr. Chi Haotian, Vice Chairman of the Central Millitary Commission, State Councilor and Minister of Defense of China met with him, Fu Quanyou, Chief of General Staff, held talks with him and hosted a welcoming banquet, and Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi also met with him.

In November, 2000, General Yuan Shoufang, Deputy Director of the General Political Department of P.L.A. led a military delegation of friendship for visit to New Zealand.

In April 2001, member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice Chairman of CPC Central Military Commission General Zhang Wannian visited New Zealand, and met with Rt. Hon. Helen Clark, Prime Minister of New Zealand, and Hon. Phil Goff, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and acting Minister of Defence of New Zealand, A.M. Kelly Adamson, Chief of the Defence Force of New Zealand, and Mr. Graham Fortune, Secretary of Defence of New Zealand.

In September, Mr. Graham Fortune, Secretary of Defence of New Zealand visited China. He called on Vice Chairman General Zhang Wannian, and held talks with Deputy Chief of Staff of PLA General Xiong Guangkai.

In October, a PLA navy vessel formation visited New Zealand.

In November, Hon. Mark Burton, Minister of Defence of New Zealand visited China. He called on Vice Premier Qian Qichen, Vice Chairman General Zhang Wannian, and held talks with his Chinese counterpart General Chi Haotian.

In February 2002, Lt. Gen. Liu Shutian, Political Commissar of Guangzhou Military Area Command of PLA, visited New Zealand.

In March 2002, Qian Shugeng, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of PLA leading a military delegation visited New Zealamd.

In August 2002, the Sino-New Zealand consultation on security and disarmament co-hosted by Wang Guangya, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister and Michael Green, deputy Secretary-general of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was held in Wellington.

In August 2002, a delegation of New Zealand Command and Staff College, led by Brigadier General Clive Lilley, Deputy Chief of New Zealand Defence Force, visited China.

(Source:fmprc.gov.cn, Last Update: August 26, 2003)