Foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta accepts China has become more assertive in the region but says approach will remain essentially unchanged
ew Zealand’s foreign minister has defended herself against accusations of complacency in the wake of China’s dramatic push for greater influence in the Pacific region, sayingIn the immediate aftermath of China’sthat appeared to catch the west off guard, and its announcement of bilateral deals with Solomon Islands, Samoa and Kiribati, the government has faced criticism from former diplomats and opposition politicians that it has been missing in action.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi is greeted at Port Moresby airport on Thursday on his first day in Papua New Guinea.Opposition foreign affairs spokesperson Gerry Brownlee has accused the government of “dropping the ball” in the Pacific, and repeatedly said Mahuta should have followed her Chinese and Australian counterparts, but Mahuta rejected his assertion, saying Wong was pursuing the trip as a newly minted foreign minister building fresh relationships.
Mahuta visited Fiji in March, in her first trip to the region since the pandemic began. In the weeks since the Solomons agreement with Asked, however, whether the push by China and the US in recent months had resulted in any change or re-evaluation of New Zealand’s foreign policy approach, Mahuta indicated they remained essentially unchanged from those she had outlined for the Pacific relationship in November 2021 – building economic resilience, recovering from the pandemic, and responding to the climate crisis.
The president of Fiji, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, watches as Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi signs the visitors book in Suva on Monday.Mahuta’s stance echoes that of a number of Pacific leaders, who have argued that geopolitical manoeuvring is far from the most pressing issue they face. “The hype-up of relevant issues in the joint statement by the US and New Zealand is out of ulterior motives to create disinformation and attack and discredit China,” foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Wednesday. “The US has military bases all over the world, yet it expresses concerns about normal security cooperation with other countries.”
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