The outrage when President Trump refused outright to condemn the Saudi Crown Prince for his role in the murder of
expatriate columnist Jamal Khashoggi, despite apparently overwhelming implicating evidence, was palpable and
predictable. So too was the President’s response that his decision was based on his “America First” policy. Given Saudi
Arabia’s influence on global oil prices, it was not in the interests of American industry and domestic jobs to be too
critical and thereby risk escalating further already high global prices, if the Saudis felt provoked on the issue, he
argued. The reaction to that was just as visceral. Here, yet again, was the President putting American domestic
interests ahead of the concern of the rest of the world at an orchestrated act of international barbarity, the critics
said. Most informed opinion around the world agreed with that reaction. Trump’s America was once again isolated as a
self serving international pariah.
In New Zealand over recent months there has been mounting concern over the steadily rising influence of China on various
aspects of our domestic political and economic environment. First, is the still unresolved question of National MP Dr
Jiang Yang and his previous and potentially ongoing links to Chinese intelligence agencies. Then, in the wake of the
Jami-Lee Ross affair, was the row about the mounting influence of Chinese money in New Zealand politics and the
particular hold that seems to have on both the Labour and National parties.
Now there is the case of the University of Canterbury professor, Anne-Marie Brady, and whether she has been the subject
of burglary and other harassment by Chinese security services. The Prime Minister says she will not comment until our
Police have completed their inquiries into Professor Brady’s allegations, yet according to Professor Brady that inquiry
was completed some time ago, making the Prime Minister’s continuing silence that much harder to fathom, and consequently
that much more worrying.
Taken together, the way in which the last two governments have reacted paints a disturbing picture. It seems that where
China is concerned, New Zealand has become very reluctant to say a word out of place, presumably for fear of the
economic consequences. China is our dominant economic partnership, and increasingly is becoming just as dominant in
terms of our political and diplomatic relationships, as well. We seem extremely unwilling to say or do anything to upset
the Chinese, lest we risk economic retaliation which could prove catastrophic.
The irony is that putting our national interests first this way is fundamentally no different from President Trump’s
America First approach to international relations which we deride as amoral, narrow and selfish. Yet, we seem to think
we can get away with criticising the President of the United States for his excesses, while acting precisely the same
way ourselves when it comes to dealing with China. While President Trump bullies, we have cowered and retreated for fear
of causing offence.
Whether the GCSB's rejection of Spark's plan to utilise Chinese telecommunications company Huawei in the roll out of 5G
telecommunications services is a temporary glitch, or marks the start of a new approach to dealing with China remains to
be seen (assuming of course the Government accepts the GCSB decision). It is significant that the Americans have been
calling on their allies to freeze out Huawei for security reasons, and that New Zealand will be following Australia if
it decides to do so. Already, there have been ramifications. Chinese displeasure at New Zealand's investigation of this
is allegedly the real reason why the Chinese have postponed the Prime Minister’s proposed visit to China to “some point
in the future”, not the scheduling issues as have been claimed here.
Right now, though, New Zealand's position looks compromised. The Minister's mealy mouthed response to the GCSB decision
and the National Party's warnings how badly this outcome will play in Beijing suggest strongly that some form of
compromise will be arrived at to placate China's annoyance. Yet again, where China is concerned, New Zealand will
cave-in.
The Prime Minister modestly likes to compare herself to Labour greats like Norman Kirk and David Lange who spoke up
fearlessly on the great issues of the day like apartheid and nuclear testing, and carried through their moral outrage on
issues with specific actions that won international acclaim. But unlike Kirk and Lange, she still seems too full of
talk. She needs to remember actions speak louder than words.
ends