Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Andrew Little: Former Defence Minister on the talks between NZ and China about the warships in the Tasman

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Andrew Little: Former Defence Minister on the talks between NZ and China about the warships in the Tasman · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: So Winston Peter's met with China's Foreign minister overnight. As
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: those warships in closer to Australia, they're well into Australia's
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Exclusive Economic zone at this point. But New Zealanders and
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Australians are like a hopeful that Winston has had some
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: words with Chinese officials. But to give us some sort
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: of insight about what's happening at that level, I'm joined
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: by former Defense Minister Andrew Little from the Labor Party.
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: Hello Andrew, good morning.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: So what are the rules around being in an exclusive
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: economic zone?
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  Speaker 2: Well, as long as they as long as you're in
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: international waters and you're obeying the rules under the United
• 0:39
  Speaker 2: Nation's convinced on the law of the Seat, then that's
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: all fine. They and that's what China is doing. But
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: there's no question why they are down here and during
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: live firing and all the rest of it is they
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: are projecting and making it very clear to Australia and
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: New Zealand and no doubt the rest of the Pacifics
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: that are capable of doing this, that they have this
• 0:59
  Speaker 2: was it can come the star and this is about
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: projecting their military strength that they have at the moment
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  Speaker 2: power projection.
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: This is true. How close can the ships get before
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: they've overstepped.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: Once around the twelve mile zone of twelve miles or
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: four then at that point it's expected that there would
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: be permission, and that would be that would be probably
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: notified in a way that hasn't happened so far. But
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  Speaker 2: at the moment, every indication is that they are observing
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  Speaker 2: the law of the sea, and all we can already
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: do is observe at the moment.
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Okay, So wis Peter's met with Wang Yi, who's China's
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  Speaker 1: foreign minister last night. We've all seen the releases. You've
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: been a defense minister. Can you read between the lines
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  Speaker 1: and tell us how successful that meeting was or not?
• 1:51
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I saw the statement that they've released, and they've
• 1:55
  Speaker 2: recorded to those recorded the issues that were raised. That's
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: the way these things happen. The statements tend to be
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: pretty blend and very polite and all the rest of it.
• 2:04
  Speaker 2: But I think we can be assured that the aid
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: that the issues were raised, and I expect that Peter,
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: as a long serving foreign minister, done it many times,
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  Speaker 2: and who knows when he would have been pretty forceful.
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  Speaker 2: I expect and his representations about that. The way you
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: deal with China, to make your point is, you know,
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  Speaker 2: what you say behind closed doors in the room is
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  Speaker 2: one thing. The way you talk about what you've said
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: afterwards is a different thing. That's just the way you
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: keep face with China. That has more of an impact
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: than sort that the megaphone diplomacy that we've seen in
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  Speaker 2: another case, Well, you're.
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: Talking about megaphone diplomacy. Acting Prime Minister David Seymour yesterday
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  Speaker 1: had some fairly harsh words for China, and is there
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: really a risk in using strong language and domestic media
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: to define our positions, just trying to really take offense.
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: I think China will understand that, you know, politicians of
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: whatever country but here in his Zinn need to speak
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: to a domestic audience and we'll say those things. I think, however,
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: they will also expect that when there is a bilateral
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: dialogue such as the one that mister features has been them,
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: that issues will be raised and it's that's the forum
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: to have the argument about it. And I think the
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  Speaker 2: I mean, I think the other thing about dealing with
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  Speaker 2: China is understanding that the relationship with China is multi dimensional.
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: So there is you know, there's betrayed relationship which is
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: really positive, but there's also what they do and how
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: they relate to other countries, particularly in our region, so
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  Speaker 2: that isn't protected positive and that's that's we We just
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: have to navigate that style of relationship with China. But
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: having having the dialogue is important. Raising COFUSA is important,
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  Speaker 2: but China will understand that politicians have to speak to
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: a domestic audience as well.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, Andrew Little and I thank you so much for
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: your expertise. Andrew is the former Defense Minister and has
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: talked to China before. For more from Early Edition with
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: Ryan Bridge, listen live to News Talks.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: It'd be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: on iHeartRadio