New Zealand and India announced Saturday a ¡°strategic partnership¡± including in defense and security, during a landmark visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon feted his guest with an indigenous Maori welcome and guard of honor, seeking to expand relations after signing a free-trade pact in April that he has touted as an economic boon.

Modi¡¯s visit, at the tail end of a July 6-11 tour that has also taken him to Indonesia and Australia, comes shortly after China test-fired a ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean on Monday, stirring unease in the region.