Jacinda Ardern and Samoa's PM hold media briefing

Samoa and China do not have any plans for military ties, Samoa Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa says.

Fiamē who is on a three-day trip to Aotearoa is making her first official bilateral trip abroad since becoming leader last year.

Her visit marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Samoa and the 60th anniversary of Samoa's independence.

At a media briefing after talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Fiamē said: "There are no discussions between Samoa and China on militarisation at all."

She said the Pacific nations would discuss China's security proposals at the Pacific Islands Forum due to take place from 12 July.

"The issue needs to be considered in the broader context," she said.

Ardern said there was capability in the region to deal with security issues and they could be addressed together, while stressing that Pacific nations still had the sovereign right to decide their own future.

"We have convergence on our regional priorities," Fiamē said, adding that Samoa believed in the region taking a collective approach to issues.

She said the anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship signed by the two countries would coincide with Samoa opening its borders fully on 1 August.

The talks with Ardern had covered a lot of ground, she said, and the two countries would work together on tourism, education and in other economic areas.

"Targeted assistance from New Zealand has enabled us to open our borders."

From 1 August flights to Samoa would increase from the current weekly flight for passengers to daily flights by the end of the year.

Her message to Samoans living in New Zealand was that the anniversary celebrations will take place over 12 months so they had plenty of time to come home.

Asked what Samoa required of New Zealand, Fiamē said "she was not in a rush to come up with a shopping list".

Instead it might be time just to reflect on reprioritising issues while saying climate change and education remained important as well as "building back stronger" after Covid-19.