PM’s trip confidence booster
Confident he has advanced security, defence and economic ties with Southeast Asia during his trade mission, Christopher Luxon tells Anna Whyte that as a small nation there is a risk New Zealand can become irrelevant.
For Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, being whisked away by the president of the Philippines in a golf cart and being followed by diplomatic services in a tuk-tuk motorcade in Thailand is all part of the job.
“A big part of my job is to build that personal rapport and relationship, because it’s really important that New Zealand get share of mind, because otherwise, we’re small, and the risk is that we become irrelevant,” he says.
“I never want New Zealand to be irrelevant ... We’ve got a lot to give the world and a lot to offer.“
While trade and strengthening ties were number one on the agenda on his Singapore, Thailand and Philippines trip, the growing escalation of conflict across the world meant responding and reacting to issues chewed its way into top position.
Luxon spoke to leaders about tension in the South China Sea, with the Middle East, Ukraine and Myanmar conflicts also raised.
Asked if his concern had risen, or if he was more aware after being in the region and hearing of their concerns, Luxon said, “no, I’ve been well attuned to those issues”.
“You cannot advance our economic interests if you’re not realising that actually, we’re living in an unstable region. If we don't have good security and good stability in the region, then that impacts directly our ability to build out our economic interests.”
When put to him if being in the Philippines, in the thick of tensions as heat continues to rise in the South China Sea, gave him a different perspective, Luxon again said, no.
“I personally am very well briefed and well read on these issues. And I’ve been following these issues for years, even before I got to politics. So for me, personally, I’m well aware of them. I appreciate maybe media come and see it up close, it might be different.
“But for me, no, this is why we’re doing this because I’m saying in Southeast Asia, our economic and our security interests lie here.”
Nothing surprised him in the bilateral meetings either, when he met with Marcos, Thailand PM Srettha Thavisin and Singapore’s PM of 20 years Lee Hsien Loong, who confirmed the date of his upcoming retirement shortly after his meeting with Luxon. “I had met them all [previously]. Prime Minister Lee was very good to me when I was in opposition. I had spent time with him when he didn't really need to spend time with me.