Wang Yi Meets with Larkson to Consolidate China Singapore Relations

Wang Miao, a special correspondent for Global Times in New Zealand, and Xu Keyue, a journalist for Global Times. Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, set off to visit New Zealand on March 17th. On the 18th, New Zealand Prime Minister Larkson met with visiting Wang Yi in Wellington. On the same day, Wang Yi also held talks with New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Peters and met with the new Minister of Trade, MacLey. This is Wang Yi's first visit to New Zealand in 7 years. On the 18th, the New Zealand Newshub website commented that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and New Zealand, and Wang Yi's visit to New Zealand coincides with the timing. This visit will make the important relationship between New Zealand and China a focus of attention and create conditions for future Chinese leaders to visit New Zealand. But the comments also mentioned that the relationship between China and Singapore is largely influenced by New Zealand's participation in the next steps of "Okus". Experts interviewed by Global Times believe that the US Indo Pacific strategy regards the South Pacific region as a very important anti China rear base, and placing oneself on the US chessboard would seriously affect New Zealand's interests.
Wang Yi's visit has attracted widespread attention from the New Zealand media. According to media reports such as The New Zealand Herald on the 18th, Peters met with Wang Yi in Wellington that afternoon. He stated in his speech that this day is a valuable opportunity to reflect on the challenges and opportunities we are currently facing. Peters commented after the meeting that the meeting was "pleasant" and stated that the content of the meeting was "broad in scope, promoting contacts in many aspects of New China relations, including trade, commerce, and civil relations.".
  China is willing to work with Singapore to uphold the spirit of "striving for excellence" and create more "firsts", so that China Singapore relations can continue to be at the forefront of China's relations with developed countries and usher in a new decade of stronger development. Wang Yi said that China and Singapore have neither historical grievances nor practical disputes. Both sides have many important consensuses and broad common interests, and mutually beneficial cooperation has always been the main tone of China Singapore relations.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that both sides agreed to further engage in high-level exchanges, hold intergovernmental dialogues in areas such as foreign policy, trade, consular affairs, South Pacific, climate change, human rights, etc., take further measures to facilitate personnel exchanges, and maintain active communication on China's accession to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.
According to the New Zealand Herald, Wang Yi met with Prime Minister Larksson of New Zealand later on the 18th, which was the same courtesy as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who visited New Zealand last year. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Larkson stated on the 18th that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, their relations have achieved strong development and fruitful results in economic and trade cooperation. The New China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has provided important impetus for cooperation between the two sides. New Zealand will continue to adhere to the One China policy and is willing to take the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between New Zealand and China as an opportunity to further strengthen high-level exchanges with China, enhance mutual understanding, deepen cooperation in areas such as economy, trade, culture, education, tourism, agriculture, science and technology, and climate change, promote common prosperity between the two countries, and maintain regional and world peace and stability.
On the 18th, the Associated Press of Australia stated that although New Zealand and Australia are allies, the two countries have different relationships with Beijing. Compared to New Zealand, Australia is more passive in its relationship with China, especially during the Morrison administration, where the trade dispute between Australia and China resulted in significant losses for Australian companies; As the first developed country to sign a comprehensive bilateral free trade agreement with China, New Zealand has enjoyed the benefits of close economic relations between the two countries in recent years.
Chen Hong, Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Research Center at East China Normal University, told Global Times on the 18th that Wang Yi will visit New Zealand first and then Australia. "We usually talk about Australia and New Zealand, but this time it's clearly New Australia, which shows the degree of importance China attaches to China Singapore relations." Chen Hong said that China Singapore relations have always been at the forefront of China developed country relations. The primary purpose of this visit is to further stabilize such a good situation, which is not only beneficial for both countries, but also for peace, stability, and development in the Pacific region.
The New Zealand Newshub website mentioned that in November 2014, during the visit of Chinese leaders to New Zealand, the relationship between the two countries was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, marking the beginning of the glorious era of bilateral trade. According to reports, since 2014, New Zealand's exports to China have approximately doubled. Since 2017, China has been New Zealand's largest two-way trading partner. During the pandemic, sustained agricultural exports to China allowed the New Zealand economy to turn around. Although there was a slight decline in trade between New Zealand and China in 2023, China lifted the remaining tariffs on dairy products from New Zealand in early 2024, bringing hope for an improvement in New Zealand's exports to China this year.
However, some argue that Wellington's interest in joining the "Okus" and "Second Pillar" may cast a shadow over the relationship between the two countries. Previously, the US UK Australia trilateral security partnership "Okus" offered olive branches to countries such as New Zealand, and Larkson expressed interest in exploring the "second pillar" of "Okus" and new technologies and opportunities that are meaningful to New Zealand. Regarding this, Chen Hong mentioned that after New Zealand was invited to join "Okus", many knowledgeable people expressed opposition. The domestic economy of New Zealand is struggling with inflation, and it is crucial to maintain productive and constructive relationships with most countries in the world, including China, rather than placing oneself on the strategic chessboard of the United States.
In February of this year, former Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Donald Brash jointly published a commentary article in The New Zealand Herald titled "Okus - New Zealand must not abandon our independent foreign policy", warning that New Zealand "seemed to have abandoned its independent foreign policy and instead expressed unconditional support for the United States' anti China policy" during the first "2+2" meeting between the Australian and New Zealand Foreign Ministers in February. They strongly called on Larkson to clearly state that New Zealand does not want to join "Okus" or any alliance that is hostile to its largest trading partner, otherwise it would be acknowledging that New Zealand is indeed abandoning its independent foreign policy.