PM urges China to oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has urged Beijing to oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in a speech emphasising how China has benefited from global stability and institutions.
Ardern gave the speech at the China Business Summit in Auckland yesterday. She recounted the history of the 50-year New Zealand-China relationship, from early entrepreneurial Chinese settlers to today’s $38 billion trading relationship.
‘‘There are, and continue to be, opportunities where New Zealand and China should, and can, cooperate,’’ Ardern said. ‘‘Looking back over the 50 years, it is clear that China and New Zealand have both been major beneficiaries of relative peace, stability and prosperity in our region and globally.’’
Ardern’s speech came as tensions between the United States and China escalated over Taiwan, an island nation which China claims is its territory.
Chinese President Xi Jinping warned US President Joe Biden not to ‘‘play with fire’’ last week, as the prospect of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan angered Beijing.
Though Ardern noted China had become ‘‘more assertive in the pursuit of its interests’’, she did not revisit her criticism of recent foreign policy speeches that China was ‘‘more willing to challenge international rules and norms’’.
Yesterday, she said New Zealand had supported China’s ‘‘remarkable development’’ through its integration with the global economy.
‘‘But if we look to the counterfactual, we see how much we have to lose should the international rules based system falter,’’ Ardern said, giving the example of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. ‘‘As history shows us repeatedly, when large countries disregard sovereignty and territorial integrity with a sense of impunity, it does not bode well particularly for small countries like New Zealand.
‘‘We continue to urge China to be clear that it does not support the Russian invasion, and have called on China to use its access and influence to help bring an end to the conflict.’’
On New Zealand’s ‘‘multifaceted’’ relationship with China, Ardern said New Zealand would continue to speak on concerns, such as economic coercion and human rights. She also referred briefly to tensions in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
‘‘Managing the differences in our relationship is not always going to be easy and there are no guarantees. But as a Government we continue to work hard – through dialogue and diplomacy.’’