China's President Xi Jinping (L) And Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott
China's President Xi Jinping (L) listens as Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott speaks after a signing ceremony for a free trade deal at Parliament House in Canberra November 17, 2014. China and Australia on Monday signed a declaration of intent on a landmark free trade deal more than a decade in the making, opening up markets worth billions to Australia and loosening restrictions on Chinese investment. Xi is on a three-day official visit to Australia following the G20 leaders summit which was held in Brisbane over the weekend. Reuters/Stringer

Chinese President Xi Jin Ping is expected to arrive in New Zealand on Nov 19, and Prime Minister John Key is ready to welcome him to New Zealand. For Mr Xi, it will be his third time to visit the country and his first as president of China.

According to the New Zealand Herald, Mr Xi had visited the country when he was still China's vice-president in June 2010. Mr Key and Auckland Mayor Len Brown will welcome the Chinese president and his wife including their large delegation.

Mr Xi will stay mostly in Wellington on Nov 20 for an official welcome ceremony where a state lunch will be held in his honour. He is expected to be in official talks with Mr Key before heading back to Auckland for dinner with the prime minister and Governor General Jerry Mateparae.

On Nov 21, Mr Xi will meet with the mayors of the biggest cities in New Zealand. The Chinese leader will have the chance to meet with Opposition leader Andrew Little and the China Council.

Mr Xi's visit to New Zealand will likely gain media attention since it will be one of the biggest state visits in China's history in more than a decade. Up to 70 Chinese journalists are reportedly in New Zealand to cover the arrival of the Chinese leader. The visit is of key significance as China is currently New Zealand's largest trading partner.

While Mr Key had met Mr Xi in regional summits, the bilateral visit reflects the good relationship between New Zealand and China. Tony Browne, a former New Zealand ambassador to China and now heads the Confucious Institute at Victoria University, said the Chinese places great significance in "leadership diplomacy." The trade relations between China and New Zealand spurred a growth of $18.2 billion in 2013 with the figure expected to exceed $20 billion within the year. The positive growth has led Mr Key and Mr Xi to sign a new target to achieve $30 billion by 2020.

Wang Lutong, China's ambassador to New Zealand, hopes the state visit will help raise New Zealand's profile to Chinese tourists. Statistics reports revealed that more than 240,000 tourists from China had visited New Zealand in 2013.

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