During a meeting with her Chinese counterpart, New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta expressed concern about any lethal assistance China might provide to Russia in its war against Ukraine.
The New Zealand government’s condemnation of Moscow’s “illegal invasion” of Ukraine was reiterated by Mahuta to Qin Gang, the current Chinese Foreign Minister, and his predecessor, Wang Yi, who is now the Chinese Communist Party’s most senior foreign policy official. New Zealand urged China to use its influence over Russia to achieve the withdrawal of armed forces and an end to the war and to support a diplomatic solution through dialogue.
Mahuta also expressed concern about the human rights situation in China, the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong, disputes in the South China Sea, and growing tensions with Taiwan. Taiwan has been under constant threat of Chinese invasion, which has intensified Beijing’s shows of force in recent years and aggravated Taiwan’s fears of a Chinese invasion.
Importantly, China is New Zealand’s largest trading partner, and both countries rely heavily on bilateral trade. Mahuta also stated that New Zealand supports the diplomatic resolution of disputes through dialogue and expects China to play a constructive role in promoting a political settlement and seeking a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.