'No upside and very considerable downside' in annoying China: Helen Clark and Don Brash warn
Photo:
RNZ
Two former prime ministers and an ex-governor of the Reserve Bank have put their names to a letter questioning the coalition government's foreign policy - in particular "positioning New Zealand alongside the United States as an adversary of China".
Helen Clark, Sir Sir Geoffrey Palmer and Dr Don Brash say they are "deeply concerned" about statements made by Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, and actions taken by the government, when it comes to our relationship with the two superpowers.
"Our country has for many years enjoyed a cordial relationship with both the United States and China. Both countries were comfortable with that in the past," they said.
"But more recently, the United States has described China not only as a competitor, but also as an adversary, and has been putting pressure on other countries to take sides."
They said while the US had made a valuable contribution to trade and development in the Pacific, and "good relations… must be maintained", they held concerns about initiatives such as AUKUS Pillar 2, which New Zealand is keeping an open mind about.
An update provided to ministers in February said Pillar 2 had the "potential to support New Zealand's national security, defence, and foreign policy settings in the Indo-Pacific" through technology sharing and development. China has [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/542568/nz-in-holding-pattern-over-joining-aukus-pillar-ii-defence-briefing-docs-show warned New Zealand against joining it.
New Zealand did not consider Pillar 1, as it involved nuclear-powered submarines.
The group cited a number of decisions as potentially souring New Zealand's relationship with China, including:
They also cited Peters' recent criticism of the 2008 free-trade deal New Zealand made with China (signed during one of his former stints as foreign minister).
"It would not be surprising if China were to come to the conclusion that the special relationship which New Zealand has had with it since becoming the first developed country to have a free trade agreement with it in 2008 is no longer so valued by New Zealand.
"Yet China is already by far our largest export market, and is almost certain to become an even more important market as the country continues to develop. We see no upside and very considerable downside in the situation which has developed."
The group said while New Zealand shared more "political values" with the US, and a longer relationship, a "military relationship with the United States directed against China has many risks for New Zealand".
"That is especially true in a situation where the United States itself has recently become more ambivalent about its defence relationships with traditional partners."
They urged Luxon to "make it clear at the highest level that New Zealand retains its bipartisan commitment to its strategic partnership with China in the interests of a peaceful and prosperous region and world" when made it to Beijing, expected to be sometime this year.
Luxon first
met Chinese President Xi Jinping
at last year's APEC meeting. He was yet to visit China as prime minister.
The other signatories to the statement were former Speaker of the House Sir David Carter, former New Zealand Ambassador to China Carl Worker, and David Mahon, a New Zealand businessman resident in Beijing since 1984.
In response, a spokesperson for Peters told RNZ he saw "no value in indulging the tired arguments of various former politicians".
"The AUKUS II process was commenced by the Labour government in 2021. New Zealand has yet to be invited to join.
"The government stands by its independent foreign policy approach which has been transparent about its focus on advancing New Zealand's security and prosperity after the years of inaction by the previous administration."
Clark and Brash, once political foes, last year teamed up to criticise the government's foreign policy, in paticular its
refusal to rule out joining AUKUS Pillar 2
.
Labour has promised it would
not sign New Zealand up to the US-UK-Australia defence agreement
.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter
curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
Dalai Lama says he will be reincarnated, Trust will identify successor
By Krishna N Das , Reuters Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama attends a Long Life Prayer offering ceremony at the Main Tibetan Temple in McLeod Ganj, near Dharamsala on 30 June, 2025. Photo: SANJAY BAID / AFP The Dalai Lama says that he will be reincarnated and that his non-profit institution will have the sole authority to identify his reincarnation, countering China's insistence that it will choose the successor of the Tibetan Buddhist leader. The remarks by the Dalai Lama, who turns 90 on Sunday, end speculation among millions of followers about whether there would be another Dalai Lama after his death . The Nobel peace laureate was speaking during a week of celebrations to mark his birthday which was expected to be closely watched by the US, India and China for clues about his successor for strategic reasons. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated on Wednesday that Beijing had to approve the identity of the successor and that it had to be done in China through a centuries-old ritual. Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled to India from Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, as a separatist. The Dalai Lama has previously said his successor will be born outside China and urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing. In previous years, he had also said it was possible that there might be no successor at all. "I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue," the Dalai Lama said in a video message to a gathering in Dharamshala, a town in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India, that was attended by more than 100 monks in maroon robes, journalists from around the world and long-time supporters including Hollywood star Richard Gere. He added that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, the non-profit organisation that he set up to maintain and support the tradition and institution of the Dalai Lama, has the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation in consultation with the heads of Tibetan Buddhist traditions. "They should accordingly carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition ... no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter," the Dalai Lama said. Tibetan tradition holds that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated in the body of a child upon his death. Born as Lhamo Dhondup on July 6, 1935, to a farming family in what is now Qinghai province, the 14th Dalai Lama was identified as such a reincarnation when he was just two years old by a search party on the basis of several signs, such as a vision revealed to a senior monk, the Dalai Lama's website says. He is now regarded as one of the world's most influential religious figures, with a following extending well beyond Buddhism, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Samdhong Rinpoche, a senior official of the Gaden Phodrang Trust told reporters that the Dalai Lama was in good health and he has not given any written instructions yet on the succession. He said the successor can be of any gender and that their nationality would not be restricted to Tibet. China says its leaders have the right to approve the Dalai Lama's successor, as a legacy from imperial times. A selection ritual, in which the names of possible reincarnations are drawn from a golden urn, dates to 1793, during the Qing dynasty. Chinese officials have repeatedly said the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama should be decided by following national laws that decree use of the golden urn and the birth of reincarnations within China's borders. Penpa Tsering, leader of the Central Tibetan Administration, the Tibetan government-in-exile in India, said the Dalai Lama would be open to visiting Tibet if his health permits and if there were no restrictions from China. He also said that the US had lifted some restrictions on funds for Tibetans in exile and that the Tibetan government was looking for alternate sources of funding. The United States, which faces rising competition from China for global dominance, has repeatedly said it is committed to advancing the human rights of Tibetans. US lawmakers have previously said they would not allow China to influence the choice of the Dalai Lama's successor. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
Panel with Nicky Pellegrino and Leonie Freeman Part 2
The Pancake Rocks walkway at Dolomite Point, Punakaiki. Photo: Greymouth Star / Brendon McMahon This half hour the panel talk about the "catastrophic" redundancy of 250 Westport coal miners will happen in about three years if a mine's expansion is not approved under fast-track legislation. They also hear from Patrick Volk, a local businessman who is up in arms about parking fees at Pancake Rock.
RNZ News
9 hours ago
- RNZ News
Fiji's PM Sitiveni Rabuka says China's military bases are 'not welcome' in the Pacific
By Stephen Dziedzic , ABC News Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: X / @slrabuka Fiji's Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has delivered a blow to China's security ambitions in the Pacific, declaring his country would "not welcome" any Chinese military bases in the region. But Rabuka has also stressed he doesn't believe that China is actively looking for such a security foothold in the Pacific - saying the rising power doesn't need it to project power. Sitiveni Rabuka was repeatedly pressed about China's role in the Pacific in the wake of his speech to the National Press Club in Canberra today. Rabuka didn't mince words when he was asked if he believed that Beijing should be permitted to establish a military base in the Pacific. "Who would welcome them?" he asked rhetorically. "Not Fiji." The prime minister also gave a direct answer when asked if he would use his influence in the broader region to stop China gaining a military base. "As long as I'm prime minister, yes," he said. "And I think that China understands that well." Rabuka also said earlier that Pacific nations were trying to "cope with a China that is big, really big" and which would "probably like to spread its influence" in the region. He said that meant that Pacific nations which were "friendly to all and enemies to none" had a "fairly tough course to steer". But he also praised Xi Jinping as a "great leader" who had lifted China out of poverty, and told the Press Club that he didn't believe China was actively searching for a military base in Pacific island nations. "They have proven that they do not need a base outside China to be able to launch what they have into any other area of the world," he said. "So they can go east of China and far and go as far east to America as they like, or go west and go to the furthest point in Europe if they like, so there is really no need for them to set up any other bases in the Pacific." Sitiveni Rabuka. Photo: Fiji Government That runs counter to Australian government assessments, which warn that China is seeking a security foothold in the Pacific - potentially through "dual use" infrastructure projects which could be used for military purposes. The Pacific Minister Pat Conroy has repeatedly said publicly that Beijing is seeking a security "presence" in the region, including through its attempts to expand police cooperation in the Pacific. Mihai Sora from the Lowy Institute said that while Canberra would welcome Rabuka's clear statement about a Chinese military base, the prime minister's statements showed he was not on the same page as Australia when it came to Beijing's objectives. "My takeaway was that the prime minister fundamentally does not want to recognise China's strategic intent." "Despite earlier acknowledging China's designs to increase influence, he doesn't connect that influence with seeking greater military access," he said. "Australia still needs to do far more to achieve alignment in strategic world views, even… among our closest Pacific security partners." Rabuka also said he would like to explore signing a new overarching agreement with Australia, saying the relationship may have "reached a poin … where our renewed and elevated partnership needs to step up to an agreement or treaty". The Albanese government has signed a slew of new strategic agreements with Pacific nations like Tuvalu, Nauru and Papua New Guinea, and is exploring new pacts with Tonga and Vanuatu. Rabuka did not provide detail about how a new agreement could work, but said it would allow Australia to expand assistance to Fiji and help the relationship withstand the "political whims of the winning parties in the various elections, because there will be national treaties between sovereign states". He also provided more detail about his framework for an 'Ocean of Peace' - which he plans to bring to other Pacific leaders at a high-level meeting in Solomon Islands in September. Rabuka said the strategy would enshrine peaceful cooperation and respect for international law at its heart, and allow the Pacific to "set out how we expect those outside the region to respect our approaches, and participate with us". "This means respect for the Pacific way," he said. "Respect for norms and law. No coercion." - ABC News
