Ardern’s remarks ‘wrong’

The Chinese embassy in Wellington hit back at remarks made by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Wednesday’s Nato leaders summit in Madrid, calling them “misguided” and “not helpful for deepening mutual trust”.

In a statement, the embassy called Ardern’s statement “wrong” and “regrettable”.

Though New Zealand is not a member of Nato, a Northern Hemisphere defence alliance, Ardern was invited to attend its leaders summit in Madrid along with other leaders of the Asia Pacific Four: Australia, Japan, and South Korea.

In a speech to the summit, Ardern said: “China has in recent times also become more assertive and more willing to challenge international rules and more.”

While the summit was focused on the war in Ukraine, Nato also published a new “Strategic Concept”, which listed China as a threat.

Ardern’s speech made a plea for peace and urged the international community to resolve disputes with diplomacy through multilateral institutions like the United Nations.

The embassy said China was “firmly committed to upholding multilateralism, supporting the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on the Charter of the United Nations”.

The embassy said there was a “small number of countries” that sought to impose their will and “socalled ‘values’” on China “under the guise of multilateralism” and it took a “firm stand” against this.

Ardern has recently voiced concerns at the “militarisation” of the Pacific, following China’s security deal with Solomon Islands.