Why we need to speak the truth to our friends

Most Kiwis were disgusted by Donald Trump’s recent comments about murdered US-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Though Trump condemned the killing by the Saudi regime, he pointed out that Saudi Arabia had been a good ally of the US and was an important trading partner.

Theoretically, just because you trade with a nation doesn’t mean you should refrain from criticising them.

However, the reality is that most nations, especially small ones like ours, think very carefully about criticising a major trading partner.

As China has become increasingly important to our overseas trade, New Zealand governments have trodden carefully. If you’re a Kiwi businessperson or politician or both, good trade relations with China are definitely worth a detour on the way to the airport.

This week, academic Tze Ming Mok and 28 others wrote to Jacinda Ardern after Professor Anne Marie Brady had her car tampered with and her home burgled since speaking out about China’s political influence in New Zealand. While there has been no conclusive evidence that China is involved, neither has our Government condemned the intimidation.

The gang of 29 want Jacinda Ardern to ‘‘stop smiling’’ and condemn this impingement on academic freedom.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Belt and Road initiative – seen by China as a humanitarian foreign aid programme and by critics as creeping imperialism – has led to the tiny island of Niue having a road upgraded and some wharves renovated by the Chinese. Are the Chinese genuinely helping the Niueans, or do they see the tiny rock as an important strategic destination in the future?

The US, Britain and even MFAT seem to be worried about China’s expansion in the Pacific. Even worse for New Zealand, when the Chinese ambassador attended Niue’s Constitution Day celebrations, schoolchildren waved Chinese flags while our flag – the one that looks just like Australia’s – and our depressing-sounding anthem didn’t get a look in.

How dare those Niueans be so ungrateful after all we’ve done for them?

Captain Cook dubbed them the Savage Islands on flimsy evidence, then Dick Seddon annexed them for the British Empire. We sent Niuean troops to World War I, where most of the poor buggers died of the cold before they reached the battlefield.

After that we sent educated and understanding resident commissioners like Hec Larsen, who sentenced Niueans to hard labour for trivial offences such as making bush beer or ‘‘immorality’’ (ie kissing).

He got the culprits to build him a golf course as punishment and was hacked to death in 1953 by three aggrieved young Niueans for purely political reasons. I don’t know why I wasn’t taught that at school. Perhaps my teacher thought I wouldn’t understand the word ‘‘trivial’’.

Then, just in case the Niueans hadn’t had enough, we arrested them in dawn raids here in the 1970s. After all that aroha, those ungrateful Niueans have the audacity to welcome generous Chinese foreign aid in what they call ‘‘dumpling diplomacy’’, though I suspect it’s a case of wonton imperialism.

As the trade war between China and the US intensifies, our politicians are saying little. Simon Bridges reckons that Winston Peters is wrong to imply that a US/China trade war would be good for New Zealand. I agree. In a surprisingly sensible radio interview, Bridges reckoned it was in New Zealand’s best interests to keep good relations with both China and the US.

Our prime minister has said little about China, and we learned this week that she will not be visiting there soon. It appears that the grumpy Chinese aren’t that interested in talking to her.

Meanwhile, the US wants us to join it in shutting out Huawei from being part of the 5G mobile phone network. You don’t have to be tech savvy to appreciate the quality and price of Chinese phones but, as far as Donald Trump is concerned, it’s ‘‘my way or the Huawei’’.

Thankfully, Andrew Little will have none of the US’ ridiculous behaviour, and New Zealand telcos will be open to business for all comers.

It’s difficult for a nation of 4 million people to tell one with 1.4 billion what to do. But I think Tze Ming Mok and her colleagues make a good point. Let’s criticise countries for breaching human rights, even if they are major trading partners.

But let’s not be selective. In China’s case, I reckon it needs to get in a very long queue behind Saudi Arabia, Israel, Russia, US and even Mother England when it comes to breaching human rights or supporting with arms and money the countries who do.

Let’s criticise countries for breaching human rights, even if they are major trading partners. But let’s not be selective.