New Zealand’s foreign minister expressed concerns regarding China’s recent live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea during discussions with Chinese leaders on Wednesday. Winston Peters highlighted the issue of insufficient notice given to New Zealand about the military exercises occurring off its coast. He stated to reporters in Beijing after meetings with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and vice premier Han Zheng, “This is a failure in our special relationship at this time, and we’d like to have it corrected in the future.”
Wang responded by suggesting that both nations should work towards becoming partners of mutual trust and address “some specific differences” through dialogue, as per a statement from China’s foreign ministry. Peters is in Beijing for a three-day visit, following tensions between the two countries over the drills.
Officials from New Zealand and Australia reported that China conducted live-fire exercises in international waters between the two nations, providing minimal notice and causing commercial airlines to reroute flights. New Zealand’s defence minister Judith Collins noted that China only provided “a couple of hours’ notice,” instead of the anticipated 12 to 24 hours, which would have allowed airlines to plan alternative routes. Australia has voiced stronger complaints regarding the lack of notification, with foreign minister Penny Wong seeking clarification from Wang during their meeting in Johannesburg last Saturday.
China’s official Xinhua news agency did not address this issue in its initial report on Peters’ earlier meeting with Han. The New Zealand defence force indicated that three Chinese ships were located south of Tasmania in Australia’s exclusive economic zone and were now moving west.
Peters also mentioned raising concerns about China’s missile launch test last September, which landed near French Polynesia’s exclusive economic zone, noting that “most Pacific Island nations received no warning at all,” and New Zealand received “little warning.” He stated that China was considering providing earlier notice for future naval drills.
During his discussions in Beijing, Peters remarked that the potential return of President Donald Trump to the White House was mentioned more than he anticipated. While he did not provide specifics, he noted that both sides agreed to “wait and see what happens when the dust settles.”
Peters also expressed concerns regarding the Cook Islands, which is self-governing in free association with New Zealand, having signed a comprehensive strategic partnership and other agreements with China without adequately consulting New Zealand. He emphasized that China “needs to understand the constitutional arrangement” between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, adding that New Zealand received more information from China about the agreements than from the Cook Islands. Last week, Peters stated that New Zealand must “reset” its relationship in a formal or creative manner.
