New Zealand’s Foreign Minister (FM), Nanaia Mahuta, stated the country’s desire to maintain the Five Eyes alliance with the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, and Canada as an intelligence-sharing group and not use it as a means to place pressure on China. She remarked, “We are uncomfortable with expanding the remit of the Five Eyes. We would much rather prefer to look for multilateral opportunities to express our interests on a number of issues.”
Her comments come ahead of Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne’s visit to Aotearoa for an in-person meeting with her Kiwi counterpart and other government officials between 21-23 April.
Mahuta remarked that the Five Eyes grouping has a “specific purpose” and said that New Zealand wishes to maintain its independence in issuing statements on matters of global importance. To this end, she said that while “there are some things on which New Zealand do not, cannot, and will not, agree”, there was a need to build mutually beneficial ties. In fact, Mahuta’s speech came at a meeting of the New Zealand China Council
Keeping this in mind, Mahuta stated, “New Zealand has been very clear, certainly in this term since we’ve held the portfolio, not to invoke the Five Eyes as the first point of contact on messaging out on a range of issues,” adding, “They really exist outside of the remit of the Five Eyes. We don’t favour that type of approach and have expressed that to Five Eyes partners.
The Ardern administration has previously raised concerns about the Chinese government’s treatment of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang province, its newly unveiled national security law in Hong Kong, and its unwillingness to allow Taiwan to join the World Health Organization (WHO).
Nevertheless, while it has co-signed a number of joint statements with Five Eyes members on some matters related to Hong Kong and Xinjiang, it has consciously chosen to remain uninvolved in other issues.
To this end, Ardern has previously said that New Zealand will continue to deal with China in an “entirely predictable manner”, adding, “We have raised those issues ourselves directly, face to face, and that is in keeping with the way that we as a nation deal with issues of concern and human rights concern to us.”
Late last month, New Zealand refused to sign a joint statement by its Five Eyes partners and ten other countries who came together to condemn a report by the World Health Organization that said that COVID-19 likely originated from bats, thereby dismissing the theory that it had leaked from a lab. At the time, FM Mahuta said New Zealand would “wait until our experts have finished analysing the report” before making a comment.
New Zealand also refused to co-sign another joint statement on mass arrests of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong back in January. It is also the only Five Eyes member to not yet ban the use of Huawei equipment in its 5G network.
It is believed that this more careful approach has played a part in New Zealand’s continued positive relations with China, while its neighbour, Australia is embroiled in enduring diplomatic and trade spats with the Asian giant.
During Australian PM Scott Morrison’s term, Australia has grown ever closer to the United States, particularly during the ongoing pandemic. His administration has called for international investigations into China’s complicity in the coronavirus pandemic, described Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea (SCS) as having “no legal basis”, criticised the new security legislation in Hong Kong and the treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang province, elevated Australia’s relationship with India from a Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), participated in the Malabar naval exercises and leaders’ summits with the Quad, signed a defence pact with Japan, joined US warships in an attempt to steer Chinese vessels out of Malaysia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), banned Huawei from the country’s 5G network, and introduced a new law that will allow the federal government to overrule any agreements reached between state agreements and foreign governments and entities.
As a result, China’s MOFCOM has placed strict trade restrictions and even temporary bans on a number of Australian exports, including copper, wine, beef, barley, timber, lobster, coal, dairy, sugar, wool, fruit, and oatmeal.
Admittedly, New Zealand has seen some tensions in its ties with China due to its comments on Beijing’s commitment to human rights. Last year, following the Five Eyes’ joint statement on Hong Kong, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian warned, “No matter how many ‘eyes’ you have, be careful not to be poked and get blind by harming China's sovereignty, security and development interests.” Likewise, following New Zealand’s joint statement with Australia on Xinjiang, the Chinese embassy in the country called on the Ardern government to “stop using Xinjiang to interfere in China’s internal affairs”.
However, unlike Australia, New Zealand has escaped the wrath of punitive measures by China. In fact, Trade Minister Damien O’Connor earlier this year suggested that Australia should follow in New Zealand’s footsteps in showing China more “respect” in order to protect its economy.
In fact, in January, New Zealand and China signed a free trade agreement (FTA) that promises to expand their current $32 billion two-way trade relationship. At the time, Chinese state-owned news outlet Global Times said that the deal should serve as a “wake up call” for Australia and make it “envious”.
These latest comments by Mahuta could complicate her upcoming meeting with her Australian counterpart Payne, when, according to a statement by Mahuta, the pair are set to discuss collaboration in the two countries’ COVID-19 strategies and “cover the full range of foreign policy matters important to both countries, including key regional and global issues”.
New Zealand Objects to Use of Five Eyes Intelligence-Sharing Alliance to Pressure China
Kiwi FM Nanaia Mahuta remarked that the Five Eyes grouping has a “specific purpose” and said that New Zealand wishes to maintain its independence in issuing statements on matters of global importance.
April 20, 2021
IMAGE SOURCE: EPA-EFENew Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta