Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta has to hold the balance between trade and politics with her Chinese counterpart today.
It'll be the country's first diplomatic visit to Beijing in more than three years.
The visit comes at the same time Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Russia for talks with Vladimir Putin.
New Zealand China Council Executive Director, Alistair Crozier, told Mike Hosking the issue of Ukraine will come up, but the visit is economically important.
He says a visit by the minister to pursue foreign policy objectives is part of the trade relationship between New Zealand and China.
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