New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters has stood firm on his criticism of former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr’s stance on Beijing and the threat of a defamation lawsuit.
At the same time, he spoke out on Beijing’s human rights abuses, while acknowledging his country’s dependence on trade with China, in a speech to the NZ China Council.
The minister told assembled businesspeople that he was “standing up for the rights and principles of our society,” and did not think accusing Australia’s former Foreign Minister Bob Carr of being under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and damaging the bilateral relationship.
Mr. Carr, also a long-serving premier of New South Wales, said his solicitors had sent a defamation letter to Mr. Peters over his remarks.
In response, Mr. Peters said, “This is not my first legal rodeo,” and asserted, “I’ve got a right to say what I said” and that he would “never tell another country what they should be doing.”
NZ’s AUKUS Bid the Start of Dispute
The dispute was spurred by earlier remarks by Mr. Carr who said New Zealand’s participation in “Pillar II” of the trilateral AUKUS agreement was “fragrant, methane-wrapped [expletive].”
“Why do I call it [expletive]? Because it’s been cobbled together to make it look like there’s more to AUKUS than subs—there isn’t,” he said in NZ last month.
Pillar II of AUKUS focuses on technology sharing between the partners, an area Japanese authorities have also expressed interest in.
Foreign Minister Peters said joining AUKUS should be considered, particularly given the importance of military interoperability with the country’s only formal ally, Australia.
He called critics “out of date” and said they had “reject[ed] Pillar II outright before even being in possession of the basic facts.”
Region Under Threat
Meanwhile, Mr. Peters said New Zealand and the surrounding region faced security threats, citing both public reports from New Zealand officials.“China has a long-standing presence in the Pacific, but we are seriously concerned by increased engagement in Pacific security sectors. We do not want to see developments that destabilise the institutions and arrangements that have long underpinned our region’s security.
“You’ve observed events in the Middle East, Ukraine, [the] South China Sea, all these things impact on us if they get out of hand and they’re on the edge of being that now.”
Particularly in the South China Sea, “a simple miscalculation or accident could lead to sudden and unpredictable escalation. This would have real implications for the stability and prosperity of the region.”
Despite New Zealand’s “One China” policy, he was also concerned that Beijing’s actions would exacerbate tensions in the Taiwan Strait, as well as human rights issues.
NZ’s Largest Trading Partner
“China is a vital economic partner for New Zealand, offering opportunities for trade, investment, and cooperation that benefits both sides,” Mr. Peters said in his speech.
“We value a productive, stable, and complementary trading relationship with China.”
He noted that two-way trade amounted to nearly NZ$38 billion in the year ending December 2023.
“It remains an important destination for New Zealand’s products and accounted for nearly 22 percent of our total goods and services exports last year,” he said.
Asked whether Beijing had expressed any concerns over New Zealand’s interest in AUKUS, the foreign minister said Beijing understood that the country had a right to its own foreign policy.
