Wellington: New Zealand won’t shy away from criticizing China’s human rights record To protect its lucrative business relationship with Beijing, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Said in an interview.
Ardern’s government He is accused of easing China’s much-anticipated humanitarian record, which has led some commentators to label Wellington a “weak link” in the US leadership. Five Eyes Security Alliance.
But New Zealand’s leader dismissed suggestions that economic ties with her country’s biggest trading partner were undermining her ability to voice wider concerns.
“It is very important for us to maintain integrity in the way we conduct our diplomatic relations,” he said in a joint interview with AFP, the New Zealand Herald, NBC News and Covering Climate Now.
Ardern noted “heightened tensions” between China and Australia, which have been hit with punitive sanctions by Beijing over its outspoken stance on issues such as the treatment of Uighurs and the erosion of Uighurs. democracy in hong kong.
New Zealand has also raised concerns about the same issues, but has been more restrained in its statements and has not faced any economic retaliation.
Ardern’s government refused to support a parliamentary resolution in May that labeled the treatment of Uighurs Massacre, adding that a legal case had not been made for using the term and instead expressed “grave concern”.
New Zealand has also said it is “uncomfortable” to use the Five Eyes group of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand to criticize China on rights issues.
But Ardern stressed that New Zealand’s diplomatic relations with China are not determined by trade.
“Our relationship has the maturity to raise the issues we are concerned about, whether it is human rights issues, labor issues, environmental issues,” she said.
“And it’s very important to us to be able to do that and do that regardless of those business relationships.”
Asked whether she would classify China as an ally or adversary, she replied: “I don’t think we would define our relations with any country that way.”
Ardern said earlier this year that New Zealand’s differences with China over human rights were becoming “difficult to resolve”, but that his government would continue to point out areas of concern to Beijing.
Ardern’s government He is accused of easing China’s much-anticipated humanitarian record, which has led some commentators to label Wellington a “weak link” in the US leadership. Five Eyes Security Alliance.
But New Zealand’s leader dismissed suggestions that economic ties with her country’s biggest trading partner were undermining her ability to voice wider concerns.
“It is very important for us to maintain integrity in the way we conduct our diplomatic relations,” he said in a joint interview with AFP, the New Zealand Herald, NBC News and Covering Climate Now.
Ardern noted “heightened tensions” between China and Australia, which have been hit with punitive sanctions by Beijing over its outspoken stance on issues such as the treatment of Uighurs and the erosion of Uighurs. democracy in hong kong.
New Zealand has also raised concerns about the same issues, but has been more restrained in its statements and has not faced any economic retaliation.
Ardern’s government refused to support a parliamentary resolution in May that labeled the treatment of Uighurs Massacre, adding that a legal case had not been made for using the term and instead expressed “grave concern”.
New Zealand has also said it is “uncomfortable” to use the Five Eyes group of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand to criticize China on rights issues.
But Ardern stressed that New Zealand’s diplomatic relations with China are not determined by trade.
“Our relationship has the maturity to raise the issues we are concerned about, whether it is human rights issues, labor issues, environmental issues,” she said.
“And it’s very important to us to be able to do that and do that regardless of those business relationships.”
Asked whether she would classify China as an ally or adversary, she replied: “I don’t think we would define our relations with any country that way.”
Ardern said earlier this year that New Zealand’s differences with China over human rights were becoming “difficult to resolve”, but that his government would continue to point out areas of concern to Beijing.
.