New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta delivered her first major China policy address since taking office last November at the New Zealand-China Relations Promotion Council in Wellington on April 19. Mahuta described New Zealand’s relationship with China in terms of the Maori myth of the water animal taniwha and the dragon, and argued that diversifying the economy would make New Zealand resilient rather than “putting all the eggs in one basket.
In her breakfast speech to the committee that day, Mahuta outlined a direction for the New Zealand-China relationship that she believes should be based on respect, predictability and consistency with how New Zealand’s long-term interests are pursued. Given that China is an influential global actor, she noted that New Zealand’s relationship with China is “essential and one of our most important diplomatic relationships. She said, “It is a relationship in which all New Zealanders have an interest, and the government approaches it with the long-term interests of all New Zealanders in mind.” China has been New Zealand’s largest trading partner since 2017.
However, Mahuta also issued a warning about relying too heavily on China for foreign trade. She said, “In considering long-term economic resilience, we also understand that there is value in diversity.” She spoke of the “prudent approach of not putting all your eggs in one basket,” as the committee has noted. Mahuta said, “If we look at it in the context of our relationship with China and China as a major trading market, we know that we need to ensure that New Zealand businesses gain greater resilience through their market linkages, and their trading platforms with countries other than China.” She added, “So it’s important to signal that we are now in a period of recovery from the New Zealand crown epidemic: an epidemic that was a major disruptor, an opportunity to strengthen multilateralism, an opportunity to remain committed to international laws and norms, and to use free trade agreements to do what’s good.”
Mahuta said China’s status as a permanent member of the UN Security Council adds additional obligations to the Chinese side, and it is in everyone’s interest that China acts in a manner consistent with its responsibilities as a growing power. She said New Zealand will continue to engage with China on climate change and that China’s commitments to date and future actions “have as much impact” on the climate issue as those of other large economies.
Mahuta said New Zealand intends to be a “respectful, predictable and consistent” partner in its dealings with China as it seeks to pursue long-term, deep-seated values and interests. New Zealand and China do not, cannot, and will not agree on some things,” she said. It is important to acknowledge this and to remain true to ourselves as we seek to manage our differences, bearing in mind that the agreements that underpin our relationship with each other must be respected.” She said both sides need to respect the agreement to engage and that New Zealand “wants to demonstrate a similar spirit of respect and engagement to all our international friends and partners.” She noted that “as a major power, the way China treats its partners is important to us.”
Mahuta said New Zealand has raised relevant concerns with China privately on several occasions, and that it has taken a “consistent, non-national approach” to human rights issues. She said, “If any particular country’s actions conflict with our long-standing formal commitment to universal human rights, we will not ignore the seriousness and implications of those actions.” Mahuta explained that the New Zealand government decided to speak out about the treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang and the crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. She said, “Sometimes we do this jointly with others who share our views, and sometimes we do it alone. In each case, we make decisions independently based on our values and our own assessment of the interests of New Zealand.”
Commenting on the New Zealand government’s Pacific reboot policy, Mahuta said the region’s economic vulnerability and debt levels were major risks to its future. She said multilateral initiatives in the Pacific would have a stronger and more lasting impact than bilateral arrangements, which could lead to “variable outcomes. Mahuta said, “China has a role to play in the long-term economic recovery of the region, but there is a big difference between financing loans and promoting more official development assistance (ODA) investment, which is particularly for the Pacific.”
Mahuta said, “We must move toward a more sustainable Pacific that respects the sovereignty of the Pacific and builds on the capacity of the Pacific people themselves to achieve long-term resilience.” Speaking to the media after her speech, she said New Zealand’s recovery after the New Zealand crown outbreak provides an opportunity to strengthen the country’s economic resilience. She said, “In my speech today, the point I’m making today is that a long-term trade relationship with a country may not be the way we should think about it. But it’s a ‘both in parallel,’ not about China or other countries, but about China and other countries (in trade relations).” She said she agreed with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that relations between Singapore and China are “in good shape.” In a foreign policy speech in Waitangi in February, Mahuta laid out a vision of the United States as New Zealand’s “indispensable defense and security partner” and China as a trade partner.
Mahuta said, “(Although) we have very different political systems and ways of doing things, the clearer we are with China in terms of what we value as a country and what we value for our region. That’s the same respectful, predictable and consistent approach that we will continue to advocate for as we make sure that our region is served in terms of our long-term resilience.” Describing her views on the relationship with China, she also borrowed from Maori mythology stating, “When I think of this relationship… I liken it to the respect of the water beast taniwha for the dragon, and vice versa.”
Mahuta says, “The taniwha are usually the protectors or guardians of water and have dominion over rivers, oceans, land and territory. They have a deep cultural heritage, are spiritual and are one with nature. They symbolize a sense of guardianship of our people and land, and a strong belief in self.” She continued, “And like dragons, they are powerful, auspicious, and embedded in our epistemology. They come in many forms and are symbols of leadership, prestige and power, and are to be feared.” Mahuta said, “We are two peoples – with characteristics and symbolism unique to our respective countries.”
Mahuta said New Zealand does not favor invoking the Five Eyes Alliance to “send a message on a range of issues that do exist outside of its remit.” “We are uncomfortable with expanding the remit of the Five Eyes Alliance,” she said. She said, “New Zealand has been very clear, certainly in this government and since we’ve been in power, not to use the ‘Five Eyes Coalition’ as a first point of contact to send messages on a range of issues that do fall outside its remit.” Mahuta said, “What we would prefer …… is to find other support in the region. That may or may not be those countries, but the point is that the ‘Five Eyes Alliance’ relationship has a specific purpose and we would prefer to have other partners on issues where we want to send messages and advocate for support, because we want to both voice our concerns and call for action.”
Last year, according to a statement issued by Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, the Five Eyes Alliance discussed cooperation among member states on issues beyond intelligence sharing, including critical technologies, the situation in Hong Kong, supply chains and the new crown outbreak. It is worth noting that on January 7 of this year, the U.S., Australian, British and Canadian foreign ministers issued a joint statement on the arrest of more than 50 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists. New Zealand, a member of the “Five Eyes Coalition,” did not participate in the joint statement, which drew questions and criticism from domestic and international public opinion.
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