China is New Zealand’s largest trading partner, but Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta last year raised “the value of diversity” to New Zealand’s long-term economic resilience.
That came as New Zealand was accused of not being as vocal about human rights abuses in China as other Five Eyes partners because it didn’t want to cause issues for the trading relationship.
“It is prudent not to put all eggs into a single basket,” Mahuta said in a speech last April. “The New Zealand Government will continue to work with business to pursue a range of trade opportunities.”
New Zealand last year concluded FTA negotiations with the United Kingdom and negotiations are ongoing with the EU.
“In January the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) entered into force. And then of course, we have PACER Plus, which entered into force at the end of 2020,” O’Connor said.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will lead trade delegations to Asia, Europe, Australia and the United States this year. Her trip to the US in May will see Ardern undertake trade engagement on the West Coast, focused on the high-technology export sectors.
Despite criticism New Zealand has bitten its tongue on China’s abuses, including against the Uighur population in Xinjiang and in Hong Kong, Aotearoa has put out a number of statements condemning Chinese authorities’ actions. That includes as recently as last week, when New Zealand joined the Media Freedom Coalition in raising concern about the suppression of freedom of speech in Hong Kong.
In May last year, New Zealand decided it would be party to a trade dispute between Australia and China over significant tariffs Beijing has imposed on imports of barley from Australia.
O’Connor told Newshub at the time that New Zealand was “participating in this dispute as a third party because it raises systemic issues of importance to the effective functioning of the multilateral rules-based trading system”.
“New Zealand upholds international rules and norms, so ensuring international trade rules are fairly applied by others is important to us and our exporters,” the minister said.
