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Robert Patman: Otago University International Relations expert on the US re-engaging with the Pacific · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: New Zealand and the Americans are chipping in for a
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: deep-sea port in the Cooks.
• 0:04
  Speaker 2: This is going to provide tangible benefits, really, to the
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: people of all three of our countries. We're back in
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: the game, looking after our part of the world, the
• 0:15
  Speaker 2: blue continent.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Robert Patman, Otago University International Relations professor with us this morning. Robert,
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: good morning.
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: Good morning, Ryan.
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: Obviously, everyone's a bit worried about China. We've got a
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: bunch of leaders not turning up to PIFF. We have
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: responsibility for defence in the Cooks, don't we? So is
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: this a defence thing from us and then a minerals
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: thing from the Americans, or is it a bit of everything,
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: do you reckon?
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: Well, I think from the Foreign Minister's point of view,
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: it's both. I think that, yes, the Cook Islands were
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: in the realm of New Zealand, and it's no secret
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: that New Zealand was a bit dissatisfied with the Cook
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: Islands for signing a strategic deal partnership agreement with China
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: over a year ago, but the relationship seems to be
• 0:58
  Speaker 2: repaired now. And this is one of Mr. Peter's longstanding
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: goals is to increase U.S. engagement in the Pacific Islands Forum.
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: And I think this is why he was so clearly
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: delighted with this agreement for the United States to invest
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: in the development of the deep-sea port. in the Cook Islands.
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: And it's quite a substantial investment, more than $ 50 million
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: by the US. And as you intimated, one of the
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: motivations for the US is an interest in deep sea
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: mining in the Cook's large exclusive economic zone where there's
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: some really important minerals.
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: Chinese will be paying attention to this. When was the
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: last time the Americans announced or did something of this
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: scale in the Pacific?
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: Well, I think you'd have to go back to the
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: Biden administration. Carmela Harris was very prominent in the administration
• 1:50
  Speaker 2: in leading the charge for U.S. engagement in the Pacific.
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: I can't name any one project, but there was a
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: really substantial economic investment in the Pacific Islands region under
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: the Biden administration. Biden, for example, invited all the Pacific Islands.
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: nation leaders to the White House for several summits. So
• 2:11
  Speaker 2: this seems to be when Mr. Peters says, oh, we're
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: back in the game. I think he's really referring to
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: the fact that the U.S. seem to be getting reengaged
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: with the Pacific for a period in which the Trump administration,
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: with its much vaunted America first, has not shown a
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: great deal of interest. But it is interested in countering China.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: So that has obviously been an incentive for them to
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: get back to a much more active policy in the region.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. Robert Patman, always good to have you on the show.
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: That is Otago University International Relations Professor.
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live
• 2:46
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• 2:50
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