New Zealand parrots anti-China rhetoric as US exerts greater pressure on S.Pacific with empty talk of assistance
Global TimesJun 15, 2022
story
China Condemns Alleged US, New Zealand Interference In Domestic Affairs
Last updated Sep 20, 2022
Image credit: AP [via Breitbart]Facts
- China's foreign ministry on Wed. denounced a joint statement from New Zealand and the US discussing issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, saying it smears China and meddles with its internal affairs.
- This comes after US Pres. Joe Biden met New Zealand's PM Jacinda Ardern on Tues., marking the first visit of a New Zealand leader to the White House since 2014.
- During the visit, they agreed to closer security cooperation in response to what they view as Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, highlighting a "growing strategic competition" after China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands.
- China is currently New Zealand's biggest trading partner, accounting for approximately $13B USD of exports.
- Biden and Ardern also discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as gun control following a number of recent mass shootings in the US. New Zealand banned semiautomatic firearms following the killing of 51 Muslims in the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks.
- Biden is under increased pressure to review gun laws in the wake of recent lethal attacks, while the Justice Dept. has announced an investigation into the allegedly botched response of law enforcement to the Uvalde Elementary School shooting in Texas last month.
Spin
Anti-China narrative
The US and New Zealand's foreign policies are aligned on this matter. New Zealand is simply taking decisive steps to protect its values and the liberal order against the rising aggression of autocracies. Wellington is aware that it must take a hardline stance on security to become a relevant player in the Indo-Pacific, and is endeavouring to do so.
Nerd narrative
There is a 16% chance that there will be a US-China war by 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
