New Zealand PM Ardern praises Biden for US efforts in the Indo-Pacific

After the two leaders meet in the White House, they state their support for alliances like the Quad and Aukus to maintain ‘peace and stability’ in the region

New Zealand has raised concerns about China’s presence in the Indo-Pacific after Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands

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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern with US President Joe Biden in the White House on Tuesday. Photo: AP

Published: 5:59am, 1 Jun 2022Updated: 6:55am, 1 Jun 2022

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern praised US President Joe Biden on Tuesday for his efforts to build Indo-Pacific economic and security alliances that are widely seen as an effort to counter China’s influence in the region.

Speaking just before her meeting with Biden in Washington, Ardern also touted a Pacific Rim trade pact that Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump abandoned more than five years ago.

“I … wanted just to acknowledge your leadership in bringing to the table the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, and whilst, of course, we are significant advocates for the CPTPP, the IPEF presents a significant opportunity to build the economic resilience of our region,” she said, referring to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Ardern in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday. Photo: AP

New Zealand is a founding member – along with Japan, Canada, Mexico and seven other countries – of the CPTPP, the successor to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Trump withdrew the US from the TPP as one of his first actions as president in 2017. China formally applied to join the CPTPP last year.

Ardern’s trip to Washington coincided with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s tour of the Indo-Pacific, which is aimed at expanding Chinese military, economic and diplomatic influence.

Beijing has had some success in deepening ties in the South Pacific, most notably in the form of a security agreement with the Solomon Islands last month. Ardern said at the time that the China-Solomons deal had breached an agreement among Pacific Islands Forum members to confer with each other on security matters before making major decisions.

However, Beijing appeared to stumble in its efforts on Monday, when foreign ministers of 10 Pacific island nations meeting in Fiji failed to endorse a proposed security cooperation deal with China after meeting with Wang.