The new US Ambassador to New Zealand has just arrived in the country.

Tom Udall has been in the country for three weeks, including a stint in managed isolation.

On the issue of China, he told Heather du Plessis-Allan he understands how New Zealand has a strong relationship with China but also spoken out strongly on some of the more contentious issues surrounding China.

“That’s that strong independent foreign policy that New Zealand engages in and we want to be engaging with them on the values that we share.”

LISTEN ABOVE