Australian Prime Minister, Mr. Morrison, visited New Zealand today. Prior to Morrison’s visit, New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister O’Connor publicly confirmed that New Zealand would support Australia’s complaint to the World Trade Organization (WTO) against China’s tariffs.
The Australian reported today that Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrived in New Zealand today and was greeted personally by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in Queenstown.
Morrison and Ardern will hold a summit meeting between the two leaders tomorrow. According to “The Australian”, the talks will focus on topics such as if Australia and New Zealand form a joint front on China and how to support Pacific countries in fighting the 2019 coronavirus disease (Chinese communist virus, COVID-19) outbreak.
New Zealand has repeatedly failed to follow Australia and other ‘Five Eyes Alliance’ countries in taking a tough stance against the CCP recently. For example, in March this year, when 14 countries in Europe and the United States jointly issued statements condemning the Chinese government’s human rights violations in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, only New Zealand was absent from the “Five Eyes Alliance”, which drew international attention to the relationship between Australia and New Zealand. Morrison’s visit to New Zealand today is the focus of international media.
On the eve of Morrison’s arrival in New Zealand, New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Damien O’Connor confirmed to Newshub yesterday that New Zealand will support Australia by filing a complaint with the WTO over China’s 80% tariff on Australian barley.
O’Connor explained that New Zealand is committed to defending a “rules-based trading system”; therefore, New Zealand will intervene as a “third party” in the complaint filed by Australia.
O’Connor also said that New Zealand is not at the request of any country, but has chosen to intervene in Australia’s complaint.
O’Connor said: “New Zealand supports the maintenance of international law and norms to ensure that international trade regulations are applied fairly by all parties.
According to the New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade website, New Zealand has intervened as a “third party” in litigation between other WTO members on more than 40 occasions in the past. The website explains that New Zealand intervenes as a “third party” when it wishes to influence the interpretation and implementation of WTO regulations in a case.
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