New Zealand welcomes signs of US greater presence in Indo-Pacific

Gulf Today Report

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcomed signs from the United States of a bigger engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, saying in an interview that her government has "mature" ties with China that allow for disagreement.

Ardern will host an online summit next week of leaders from the Asia-Pacific, including the United States, China and Japan, to discuss how the region can recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis.

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Meanwhile, New Zealand will not shy away from criticising China's human rights record to protect its lucrative trade relationship with Beijing, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said in an interview.

Ardern's government is accused of going easy on China's much-questioned humanitarian record, prompting some commentators to label Wellington a "weak link" in the US-led Five Eyes security alliance.

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern says the United States has "an incredibly important role" to play in the region.

In the interview to air on Sunday on the US network NBC, Ardern said that under President Joe Biden, the United States has "an incredibly important role" to play in strategic defence, economy and trade ties in the region.

"We welcome that physical presence, being part of important talks in our region," she told the "Meet the Press" programme. "And we have seen, we have seen that greater ... engagement in recent times."

But the New Zealand leader rejected suggestions that economic ties with her country's largest trading partner were muting her ability to voice broader concerns.

"It is very important to us that we maintain integrity in the way that we conduct our diplomatic relationships," she 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 has been hit with punitive sanctions by Beijing over its outspoken stance on issues such as the treatment of Uyghurs and the erosion of democracy in Hong Kong.