Anan Liu Tribute Onlinetributes.com.au

The prosecution claims Nai Yin Xue strangled his wife Anan Liu to death with a necktie.

The depositions hearing for murder accused Nai Yin Xue is underway at the Auckland District Court.

Xue is charged with murdering Ms Liu between September 11 and 13 last year. Crown Solicitor Brian Dickie says Ms Liu was strangled to death with a yellow necktie, which was owned by Xue. The prosecutor believes she was killed either late in the evening of September 11, or early in the morning of September 12.

Mr Dickie told the court of a violent relationship. He said on one occasion Xue tried to user an axe to force his way into a house Ms Liu was staying at in Wellington.

The 54-year-old was arrested in America in February, ending a five month manhunt. Xue was deported to New Zealand in early March to face the charge.

Police believe Xue left the country just after killing his wife. The couple's four-year-old daughter Qian Xun Xue is being cared for by her maternal grandparents in China, after being abandoned at a Melbourne railway station.

Earlier there were lengthy discussions in court over who would translate for Xue. It has been decided legal instructions will be translated by Owen Martell, a legal partner of his lawyer Chris Comeskey. The rest of the proceedings will be translated by a court appointed translator.

It came after Xue told the interpreter he was not happy with Mr Martell translating all of the proceedings, as his Mandarin was not good enough.

Proceedings had previously been held up by around 40 minutes while media set up to cover the two day hearing.