Human rights, the rule of law and transparency will continue to be a focus for New Zealand on the world stage, Nanaia Mahuta has said in a wide-ranging foreign policy speech
New Zealand has "moved beyond a relationship of firsts" with China and into new territory, Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta has said, while offering praise for the United States' return to the region under the presidency of Joe Biden.
Speaking to the 55th Otago Foreign Policy School in Dunedin, focusing this year on foreign policy in a post-Covid world, Mahuta said the pandemic had led to greater uncertainty and compounded global challenges like inequality, poverty and climate change.
“A shift in geopolitical relations is creating tensions spilling over to trade, diplomacy, regional stability, open and transparent democracy and human rights.”
The global recovery was taking place in an environment of deteriorating stability and security, with worrying attempts by some countries to undermine international rules.
Mahuta said she was particularly concerned about Covid-19 exacerbating “the scourge of inequality”, citing the unequal distribution of vaccines around the world and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on women.
“Such inequities pose risks to our global recovery, which is already uneven and fragile. They have driven up the risks of populism, instability and violence.”
The resurgence of nationalism was also a worry, with multilateral institutions like the World Health Organisation and World Trade Organisation coming under enormous pressure in their pandemic responses as some countries put their short-term interests first.
“These pressures on our international institutions reflect the atmosphere of global competition we now face. We are seeing increasing geo-strategic competition playing out across multiple issues and geographies, including in our region, the Indo-Pacific.”
Pacific a priority
Mahuta said the Pacific would remain a priority for New Zealand, with shared kaitiakitanga (stewardship) responsibilities for the environment and more profound security interests in common given “increased attention from actors outside of the region”.
“The regional architecture must be fit for purpose and able to build Pacific-owned solutions to the challenges of today, and more importantly, the challenges of tomorrow.”
The Government had reprioritised $120 million of official development assistance to help Pacific economies in 2021, with another $300m committed to global climate change development initiatives – $150m of which was tagged for building Pacific resilience.
Mahuta said other nations would need to engage in the region “in a way that supports Pacific priorities”, with a focus on long-term outcomes, co-investment and Pacific ownership of projects.
New Zealand would continue to work with coalitions of like-minded countries on issues of common interest, “including the principles of open markets, liberal democratic norms, human rights and collective security”, she said.
“We decide which countries – or non-state actors – we partner with depending on the issue at hand and driven by how we can most effectively advance our interests and values.”
But there was strong praise in particular for the United States, which Mahuta described as “an essential security and defence partner, an important economic partner, and a leading source of the innovation and technology we need to keep improving the standard of living for all peoples”.
“We continue to work closely with the US to protect and promote the core ideals and interests we share as liberal democracies.”
Mahuta said New Zealand’s relationship with China was “one of our most significant”, and she had discussed joint work on climate change and further strengthening the trade and economic relationship during a recent phone call with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi while also raising concerns about Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang province,
“We have moved beyond a relationship of firsts with China into new territory, where we are defining the maturing nature of our relationship," she added, referring to New Zealand's status as the first Western country to have supported China on a number of issues in the past.
“We seek a region that is inclusive, transparent, upholds international rules, particularly UNCLOS [the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]; where countries are sovereign, markets are open and where ASEAN remains centre-stage.”
New Zealand was committed to protecting and promoting human rights around the world, and would “continue to make good on our reputation for standing up with others to speak out when we see human rights under threat”.
“We seek a region that is inclusive, transparent, upholds international rules, particularly UNCLOS [the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]; where countries are sovereign, markets are open and where ASEAN remains centre-stage.”
In a question and answer session following her speech, Mahuta said she was happy that the US had “signalled that it’s back in town” following the change of administration, and believed America’s image in New Zealand and elsewhere could be improved as it started contributing again to international institutions.
“Over time, certainly actions will follow words, and that in itself will lead to an increased confidence that not only are they back in town, you know, we're all in a shared space of making sure we're making a difference in areas where there is the greatest benefit.”
She said New Zealand was concerned about China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, and appeared to answer in the affirmative when asked whether the Government could work more closely with the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a US-led grouping of four nations largely seen as a counterweight to growing Chinese influence.
Asked by a university student how his generation could respond to their children when asked whether they could be proud of New Zealand’s approach to Xinjiang, Mahuta said the Government had voiced its concerns and “using the process to the strongest degree possible” and wanted the UN to be given unfettered access to the region.
However, she did not believe it was the place of politicians to declare a genocide, as ACT MP Brooke van Velden had tried to get Parliament to do through a motion.
“We believe in an international set of rules and laws...once you’re leaving the question of genocide, for example, up to politicians, it can be very subjective and is that the place you want to be?”
