Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones says the Prime Minister will be a welcome guest in China despite the shortness of her visit.

Jacinda Ardern leaves on Sunday for the one-day visit in which she will formally open the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing and meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang will also be there.

It’s expected she will attempt to repair any damage done from New Zealand’s blocking Huawei from taking part in building the 5G telecommunications network.

Mr Jones, who traveled last week to Singapore and Hong Kong with a number of New Zealand infrastructure sector leaders, says it’s important in the wake of the Christchurch terror attacks to be seen to get out in the world.

"No doubt in my mind that the Chinese will treat our Prime Minister with a tremendous degree of respect and they will acknowledge these are trying times for our nation of 5 million people but at a deeper level, as awful and ugly as this event is, the deep influences that define us as Kiwis, we have to ensure that the finer sentiments that lie at the essence of our identity continue to flourish and are not swayed by this hideous event," he says.

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