China and New Zealand should work together to deal with the international financial crisis, said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Wednesday.

"This would benefit both countries and the region as well," Wen told visiting New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Wen said Sino-New Zealand relations was "at its best in history." adding to the Free Trade Agreement(FTA) signed last October has greatly boosted bilateral trade and economic cooperation and brought about concrete benefits to the two peoples.

Wen proposed the two countries continue high-level exchanges of visits to improve political trust.

He urged the two sides to use the advantage of the FTA to expand cooperation in the areas as agriculture, forestry, stock raising, environmental protection, clean energy and food safety.

Wen also called upon the two countries to promote personnel exchanges and coordination in the international organizations.

Key said New Zealand remains committed to developing relations with China and would take the chance of implementing the FTA to expand bilateral cooperation in agriculture, stock raising and science and technology.

The prime minister said New Zealand and China should stand firmly against trade and investment protectionism and advance the Doha round of negotiations.

After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of agreements on cooperation in information and tourism.

Key is to head to south China's Hainan Province for the 2009 meeting of the Bo'ao Forum for Asia (BFA) from April 17 to 19.

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2009)