New Zealand PM refuses to say if China is ally or adversary abstains from calling US leading democracy
New Zealand wonât be dragged into US hostilities with China, with which it has a âmatureâ relationship that allows for disputes and differences to be resolved in a calm manner, PM Jacinda Ardern said.
Ardern was prompted several times to take a stance on the confrontation between the US and China during an interview with NBCâs Chuck Todd. One question was whether New Zealanders see China as an âally or adversary,â to which the prime minister said her people will not âdetermine our relationship with any country in such stacked terms.â
China is New Zealandâs biggest trading partner, which, Ardern said, does not inhibit her country from criticizing Beijing when it sees fit.
We have maturity in our relationship to raise issues that we are concerned about, be it human rights issues, be it labor issues, be it environmental issues.
Commenting on the rift that New Zealandâs neighbor, Australia, has had with China after siding with the US in its great power competition against Beijing, Ardern said these tensions âwill not change the way we behave.â
âItâs important to us that we continue to have⦠integrity, to raise those issues that concern us,â she said, adding that her country will use established mechanisms like the World Trade Organization to resolve trade disputes âregardless of what happens in diplomatic circles.â
Also on rt.com UK & New Zealand agree to free trade deal, overcoming historic Kiwi grudge, but some question whether Britain gets enough from itAsked by Todd whether she thinks Bidenâs America is âstill the leading democracy in the world,â Ardern said the US âhas an incredibly important role to play in the Pacific region.â She added that Washington should have greater engagement, not just in terms of âissues viewed through a strategic defense lens.â
âWe would really welcome the US presence in some of that economic architecture, increasing those trading relationships in our region. We welcome any signaling that demonstrates that thatâs where the US is heading towards,â she said.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement, which the US abandoned under former President Donald Trump, and which China is seeking to join in some form, is a model for multilateral trade agreements, Ardern said. Any nation willing to accept the standards set out in the TPP would be welcome to join, she said.
Todd asked if there is any line that, if crossed, âNew Zealand or any other countryâ would not trade with a nation based on its human rights record. Ardern replied that âvalue judgementsâ are embedded in the TPP itself.
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