The man charged with the kidnapping and murder of Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao has made another appearance at the High Court.
Tingjun Cao, 52, pleaded not guilty to the charges in September.
Despite extensive police searches, Bao is still missing.
Cao appeared by audio-visual link while his lawyer was granted more time to prepare documents.
He has been remanded in custody until his next appearance next month.