Ardern Warns Against ‘Black and White’ View of Competition With Beijing

Ardern Warns Against ‘Black and White’ View of Competition With Beijing
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, on July 7, 2022. Dean Lewins - Pool/Getty Images
Rebecca Zhu
Daniel Y. Teng
Updated:

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has spoken out against framing the conflict in Ukraine and countering ongoing Chinese aggression through a “black and white” lens, saying nations do not need to choose between autocracies or democracies.

Ardern’s latest views stand in stark contrast to that of U.S. President Joe Biden, who has vowed to fight for a free and open Indo-Pacific region against increasing Chinese aggression.