Prime Minister John Key was officially welcomed at the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square where he joined Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in talks.
The two leaders signed up to a suite of measures, including an agreement to work more closely to fight the production of methamphetamine.
Emotions also ran high in the Square as a cloak that was gifted to Mao Zedong many years ago was given back to New Zealand for a time.
Te Kāea political reporter Maiki Sherman is in China and was at the event, she filed this report.
Reporter: Maiki Sherman.