Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters addressed the New Zealand China Council this morning and called on China to “uphold its obligations”.
Just moments before making the speech, he lashed out on Twitter, the day after he became embroiled in a spat with former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr.
Peters yesterday made comments about Carr’s relationship with China that Carr’s lawyers called “indefensibly defamatory”.
In a letter obtained by 1News, Carr’s lawyers said Peters’ statements in an interview on RNZ had “no basis in fact”.
Peters made the comments as he criticised the former Australian senator’s views on the AUKUS security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The AUKUS pact was not directly mentioned in Peters’ speech this morning. New Zealand is exploring its options for joining a “pillar” of the security partnership – which is widely seen in part as a coordinated effort against Chinese influence in the Pacific.
Shortly before entering the meeting, Peters hit out on X (Twitter). Peters used his personal account.
“We should never be accepting of any irrelevant ill-informed shill from some other country to walk into New Zealand and try to tell us what to do,” he wrote. “Here in New Zealand we respect something called a ‘country’s independent nationhood’.
“That principle seems lost on these people who just use it as a punchline.”
Peters’ speech to the council
Peters’ tweet was published at 9.07am, while his speech began at about 9.30am.
“Globally, just in the last quarter-of-a-century we have witnessed a rolling back of democracy, increasingly restrictive market barriers as protectionism has taken grip, and a sharp increase in conflict and instability,” Peters said. “We are undoubtedly living in a more fractious world and that is the wider context for understanding our complex relationship with China and how we navigate it.”
He said China’s place in the world has changed in the 50 years since New Zealand and China established diplomatic relations.
“China’s significance on the world stage is undeniable,” he said.
“China’s global significance, influence, and its actions and achievements in the world, bring both opportunity and challenge.
“As with any relationship, a lot comes down to how we engage with each other.
“For New Zealand, consistent and predictable engagement with China provides us a platform for open communication to air concerns, clarify intentions, deepen understanding, and explore potential areas of cooperation.”
Peters said “investing heavily” in the relationship’s “strong bilateral architecture” is important.
He emphasised New Zealand’s deep business ties with the Asian nation, which has been Aotearoa’s largest trading partner since 2017.
“The conversations we have are not always easy, but they are essential,” Peters continued.
“To be clear, it is neither surprising nor new for us to have to address differences.
“We strongly believe that in a mature relationship like ours it is possible to discuss differences openly, respectfully, and predictably.
“We will continue to share our concerns with China, where we have them.”
Human rights and conflict
He commented on China’s human rights record, and called on China to “uphold its obligations”.
“That’s all we are asking – to honour the commitments made.
“In recent weeks the Coalition Government has also raised examples of cyber-attacks and interference efforts that are intended to influence, disrupt, or subvert New Zealand’s national interests. These are deeply concerning and completely unacceptable.”
GCSB Minister Judith Collins said in March that the GCSB has established links between a state-sponsored actor linked to China and malicious cyber activity targeting Parliamentary entities in New Zealand
Peters is also “seriously concerned” by China’s increased engagement in Pacific security, he told the council.
“We do not want to see developments that destabilise the institutions and arrangements that have long underpinned our region’s security.
“With great power comes great responsibility,” he continued, adding that collaboration “does not imply uniformity of opinion”.
“Now, we believe, is a time where China leadership and diplomacy would materially help to ease global tensions.
“We will continue to align and work with partners where this helps advance our common interests, all the while being steadfast in our independent assessment of our national interests.
“Ultimately, we are not just managing the present, but also shaping the future.”
Working with traditional partners
Peters said New Zealand would continue to align and work with partners “where this helps advance our common interests, all the while being steadfast in our independent assessment of our national interests”.
“This means that we assess issues on their merits, and that our partnerships take different forms, whether determined by our shared histories, shared values, shared interests, or our shared architecture.
“Collaboration, however, does not imply uniformity of opinion. Like all sovereign nations, New Zealand will continue to make decisions based on our own assessment of our interests. Where we have shared priorities, and perspectives we will work with partners to advocate for outcomes that reflect our shared interest.”