"We were pleased to reconnect with Foreign Minister Wang. We have known each other for many years, and today we continued our wide-ranging and constructive dialogue," said Mr. Peters.

The foreign minister will be raising the matters of the warships and the controversial Cook Islands deals in three high-level meetings in Beijing this week.

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed China's live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea with Chinese leaders, expressing concerns about the lack of prior notice. The meetings highlighted issues within China-New Zealand relations,

Recent unprecedented live-fire drills by China's navy in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand were "totally in line with international law", a spokesperson for its defence ministry said on Thursday.

New Zealand is calling for “consultation and transparency” as a deal struck between the Cook Islands and China is released as tensions over the agreement persist. The “Action Plan 2025-2030″ for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Cook Islands and the People’s Republic of China was published this afternoon following weeks of speculation and a visit to China by Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown last week.

The Foreign Minister needs to restate the relationship with the Cook Islands during talks with his Chinese counterpart, former prime minister Helen Clark says.