PM appeals to China's ego in the pursuit of peace and order
Analysis: The Prime Minister has singled out the Pacific, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as tension points during his meetings with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing.
And when pushed, he all-but confirmed he also raised China's live-firing exercises in the Tasman Sea in February – something he's previously said 'alarmed' New Zealanders.
But in contrast to what NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says, Luxon pushed back against the idea of a 'China threat', saying he did not believe China was creating a fearsome foursome with Iran, Russia and North Korea.
'We haven't seen any evidence of a wholesale force from those four countries coming together against the West in that way. And so that might be a difference of opinion, but that's very much how we put it.'
In Beijing on Friday, Luxon engaged in a series of leader meetings at the historic Great Hall of the People, including with President Xi Jinping, as well as his Chinese counterpart Premier Li Qiang.
He came away from those meetings saying the China-New Zealand relationship was in 'good heart'.
Ahead of his meeting with Li, Luxon received an official welcome, with the full military pomp and ceremony – just hours ahead of flying to Europe to spend time with New Zealand's security partners at the NATO summit.
In the Luxon-Xi meeting, neither side skirted around the edges, directly addressing the fact that the relationship had been a rocky one.
'More than 50 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties to China, New Zealand relationship has experienced many ups and downs, but we have always respected each other and worked together,' Xi said in his opening remarks ahead of his closed-door meeting with Luxon.
The Prime Minister responded in the same way, with a directness that was respectful and predictable – exactly the type of communication the New Zealand side said it was striving for in its relationship with China.
The Chinese and New Zealand teams at the formal leaders' meeting. Photo: Pool
In what seemed to be an attempt at positive manifestation, Luxon appealed to China's view of itself as a predictable, constructive player at a time of global turmoil.
'We are meeting at a time of increasing global uncertainty and strain, and the world looks to China as a major global power to play a constructive role in addressing many of the challenges that are facing us all,' Luxon said.
In this context, ongoing discussions with China were 'more important than ever before – and we value it highly'.
'Stability in our region and our deep and abiding support for the rules-based system are fundamental to New Zealand's interests … our long-standing connections and cooperation supports us to continue our positive, constructive, open and comprehensive discussions, as partners should do.'
While Luxon did not mention the US, China already sees itself as the antithesis to Donald Trump's chaos. Playing to that ego in the hope of maintaining peace in the region (and the globe) couldn't hurt.
'As a small country, you have to acknowledge we're not a medium power, not a large power, right? So I have to find ways to influence what I believe in and what we believe in in New Zealand – which is a set of values – and actually put voice to those values and articulate them well,' Luxon said following the bilateral.
In return, Li said that Xi had 'chartered the direction for the next phase' of the relationship, while also saying that New Zealand should place greater emphasis on cooperation.
'In these turbulent times, the fundamental interests of both countries call for the relationship to be defined and underpinned by cooperation, rather than anything else,' Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong said.
The meetings took place against the back-drop of heightened tensions in the Indo-Pacific Region. Following China's live-firing combat exercises in the Tasman in February, China has said it planned for the normalisation of deployment of the naval forces of the People's Liberation Army into the South Pacific.
Meanwhile, the day before the meetings, AFP reported that a tranche of classified government briefing notes showed deep concern within the New Zealand government in the wake of the surprise intercontinental ballistic missile launch off the coast of Tahiti last year, which China shrugged off as 'routine.'
In briefing documents provided to Foreign Minister Winston Peters, officials called the missile launch a 'significant and concerning development'.
On the flip side, China has consistently hit back at New Zealand's indication of joining Aukus Pillar II, warning against joining 'small circles', and stoking a regional arms race. This was another topic Luxon wouldn't be drawn on following his day of meetings.
China has also pushed back at New Zealand's retaliatory action against the Cook Islands after Prime Minister Mark Brown signed a strategic deal with Beijing, without consulting New Zealand. Luxon refused to confirm whether the Cook Islands issue was raised in his meetings with Xi and Li, but said he raised the importance of respecting the Pacific Islands Forum as the way to advance development in the Pacific.
It seemed to be a tight-lipped Luxon way of acknowledging the under-lying issue with China's role in the Cook Islands saga, without disclosing the specifics of what was said in the room.
During a 25-minute press conference at the conclusion of Luxon's three-day trip that had covered Shanghai and Beijing, the Prime Minister went out of his way to not divulge any further information about the diplomatic discussions, beyond what was included in his press release and a joint statement.
'We need to respect that they are private diplomatic conversations,' he said.
'What I can reassure you is that I raise issues of common interest; I raise issues of difference. We had a very fulsome conversation. We discussed everything we needed to discuss.'
While it was expected for some topics to remain in the room, Luxon joined the tradition of New Zealand prime ministers to be particularly evasive following discussions with China's leaders.
But he reassured Kiwis and security partners that – 'as you would expect in a mature relationship' – New Zealand canvassed the range of topics 'very openly, very candidly'.
Despite the direct acknowledgement of the shared differences, there was more positive than negative in the remarks between the two countries.
It seemed China still regarded New Zealand as 'the best in the west' and understood the importance of keeping New Zealand onside at a time of increasing global uncertainty.
This marked Luxon's second meeting with Xi. In November, the president asked for a bilateral on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Peru.
Xi referenced this first face-to-face, saying the two had a 'good discussion' last year, saying he was 'very impressed' with Luxon and appreciated his 'positive attitude'.
Both sides played up the positives of the trading relationship, with Luxon noting the $39 billion in two-way trade and opportunities for further collaboration. But one trade area that remained a sticking point was China's bid to join the CPTPP.
China has been angling to join the trade grouping since 2021, and ahead of this visit government officials made a point of saying they believed they had taken steps to meet all the Auckland Principles required for ascension into the partnership.
Despite repeated questioning Luxon refused to say whether New Zealand supported China's bid to join the CPTPP, relying on the final 'principle' that required consensus from all 12 countries. But a joint statement issued by the two countries said New Zealand had 'noted' China's application.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang with Christopher Luxon as he inspects an honour guard. Photo: Pool
The Xi meeting, which was scheduled for 40 minutes, lasted about an hour. It came after a bilateral with Zhao Leji, the chairman of the country's top legislative body – akin to the Speaker of the House – and before a detailed bilateral with Luxon's counterpart Premier Li Qiang.
Following the final meeting, Li and Luxon had a banquet dinner with the full delegation of officials and business leaders.
For these crucial first meetings, the Prime Minister brought along Wellington's full diplomatic might. Ambassador to China Jonathan Austin, Foreign Secretary Bede Corry and division head Wendy Matthews all joined Luxon in the room. And for good measure, he took in former senior diplomat and head of DPMC Ben King, Customs chief executive Christine Stevenson, as well as foreign affairs advisers from both DPMC and PMO.
While it was unlikely either side was surprised by the topics raised, the experienced officials in the room would have been listening carefully to the specific language used and how things were said. It was the nuance in China's statements and responses that would communicate the CCP's strength of feeling on specific issues.
From Beijing, Luxon left his business delegation and the Airforce 757 and jumped on a commercial jet to Brussels late Friday night.
The juxtaposition of the Beijing visit abutted against the Prime Minister's trip to NATO provided a fitting illustration of New Zealand's competing priorities, which Luxon said were inextricably linked.
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