Li to enhance ties while in Australia and New Zealand

Premier Li Keqiang will make official visits to Australia and New Zealand starting next week as a major effort to boost economic ties with the two Oceanian countries.

The visits will be the first such trips to the two countries by a Chinese premier since 2006.

At the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English, the premier will visit the two countries from Wednesday to March 29, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a news conference on Friday.