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Summary
- Jacinda Ardern at the China Business Summit highlighted the strong trading relationships of China with New Zealand despite disagreement on few issues.
- NZ maintains an independent foreign policy and works on national interest.
- Both Ardern and Wu Xi, Chinese Ambassador, called for mutual trust and respect among the two countries.
The China Business Summit, which was held in Auckland on 3 May 2021, saw the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressing it and providing major insights on NZ’s relationship with its largest trading partner, China.
Source: © Nionx | Megapixl.com
NZ PM Urges China To Move Ahead On The Back Of Increasing Power
Ardern highlighted that despite having strong trading relations with China, New Zealand does not agree on certain issues with the Chinese government.
NZ has its independent foreign policy and will work in accordance with the nation's interests and values.
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Ardern has urged that as the world witnesses the growing clout of China, the New Zealand Government must act in accordance with its responsibilities as a growing power, as well as it being a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
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Trade Relations Between New Zealand And China Remains Unaltered
However, the NZ Prime Minister reiterated that notwithstanding, issues revolving around China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South China Sea, NZ’s relationship with China remained strong and unaffected.
It is pointed out that New Zealand’s largest trading partner is China, which recorded 29% export in 2020.
China Refutes Allegations of Uyghur Genocide
Wu Xi, the Chinese Ambassador agreed with Ardern and called for mutual trust and respect in state-to-state relations. Further, he also stated that China hoped New Zealand would act as per the international law and would not interfere in the internal matters of the Chinese Government, thereby, maintaining healthy bilateral relations between both the countries.
Moreover, Xi signaled that dictating principles and beliefs on other countries and going for groupism would hamper global assistance among the nations and drew disagreement.
She further stated that the claims of the Uyghur genocide in Xinjiang were false and baseless and were spread by certain anti-China forces.
NZ Criticised By Five Eyes Alliance Members
New Zealand has been heavily criticised by its Five Eyes alliance members (the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia) on its unwillingness to use the Five Eyes platform to condemn the Beijing government’s role in increased authoritarianism in Hong Kong, as well as savage treatment of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang province of China.
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A few days ago, when in the UK Parliament, a vote for the motion was passed against the ill treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, New Zealand did not take a stand against China on the issue. It faced heavy condemnation by other Five Eyes group members.
China’s Reaction
On the other hand, Beijing Government is infuriated and has accused the Five Eyes alliance of ganging up against it and releasing statements pertaining to Hong Kong and Uyhgurs in Xinjiang. China shrugged the matter off saying those were the internal matters of the country and other nations were attempting to curb the country’s development interests and sovereignty.
