Christopher Luxon, who has little domestic political experience and even less geopolitical experience, has just spent time in Beijing with some of the world’s most powerful men.
Luxon said he raised New Zealand’s frustrations over China’s engagement with the Cook Islands in his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
It was embarrassing for Luxon that the news of New Zealand pausing nearly $20 million in development assistance to the Cook Islands broke while he was in China.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters stopped the funding due to a lack of consultation regarding a partnership agreement and other deals signed with Beijing earlier this year.
Luxon is now on his way to Europe for bilateral visits in Brussels and The Hague, where he will meet with leaders to discuss trade, security and the shifting geopolitical landscape.
While still in Beijing, however, he was asked by the travelling press pack what he thought of Nato’s hawkish position on China.
Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte this month warned China was part of a four-nation effort to wage war against Ukraine.
“China is working together with North Korea, Iran,” Rutte said. “They are supporting, as we all know, Russia’s war effort against Ukraine. So, these four working together is, of course, a relevant development.”
China being our largest trading partner may have caused Luxon’s anxiety to rise when he heard the question. But his answer deserves some scrutiny.
“We haven’t seen evidence of those four powers co-ordinating actively against the West. We’ve seen bilateral associations, say, with Russia and North Korea with respect to Ukraine,” Luxon said.
“We’ve seen bilateral arrangements with, say, Iran and Russia as well, but we haven’t seen those countries come together against the West in that way, so that may be a difference of opinion.
“I’ve seen different remarks from different leaders. Mark Rutte, a friend of mine, has been pretty direct with his Dutch directness as you would understand. We’ve seen no evidence of China collaborating with Russia or Iran and other countries to co-ordinate with the West at all.”
But Luxon’s response also came after the Kremlin had just days earlier announced North Korea was sending 5000 workers to Russia to help rebuild the war-torn Kursk region. It was widely reported.
Western intelligence briefings have also said thousands of North Korean troops have fought against Ukraine on the frontlines.
Iranian-designed Shahed drones have been used by Russian forces throughout the war.
Ukraine has regularly accused China of supplying Russia with weapons. Beijing denies the claim.
These countries may not all be gathering in a single room to scheme against the West, but they are working with each other.
Luxon’s answer, perhaps workshopped on the briefings of advisers, appears to his best effort at being diplomatic and walking a trade and security tightrope with China.
This is undoubtedly a difficult job, but Luxon’s lack of experience in the global political arena is showing.
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