Winston Peters and Helen Clark. Photo: Nick Monro
Foreign Minister Winston Peters needs to restate New Zealand's relationship with the Cook Islands during talks with his Chinese counterpart, former prime minister Helen Clark says.
Peters arrives in Beijing this afternoon for a 48-hour visit that will include talks with China Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
The visit comes after the Cook Islands prime minister's recent trip to Beijing, where he signed multiple deals with China.
The one deal made public - a memorandum of understanding between Rarotonga and Beijing - promises investment in the "blue economy" and could include allowing Chinese construction of ports, wharves and the presence of ships in the Cook Islands.
Clark said she was concerned about the agreements that China had made with the Cook Islands.
"China clearly knew what it was doing in signing up to these agreements with the Cook Islands. I'm sure Winston Peters will be reminding Wang Yi of the status of the Cook Islands which has never opted for independence from New Zealand."
Cook Islanders can obtain New Zealand citizenship and have a New Zealand passport, she said.
"This is not, you know, a normal independent country making these agreements and prima facie agreements where the Cooks sign up to support Chinese candidates who are running for international organisations with the Cooks as a member, giving access to the deep sea minerals, more work to be done on ports and wharf infrastructure," she said.
"All of these and quite a lot more in these agreements are of concern."
This was likely to be a point of some aggravation in the meeting, she said.
Winston Peters arrives in Beijing this afternoon for a 48-hour visit which will include meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Peters needed to restate New Zealand's relationship with the Cook Islands, she said.
"He's also said it needs review and the reality is it's 24 years since I went to the Cooks and signed the joint centenary declaration with the then Premier Dr Maoate on the relationship between New Zealand and the Cooks," Clark said.
"But that is the relationship as it stands at the moment and there's no question in my mind that the Cooks was out of court in signing this range of agreements with China behind New Zealand's back."
The pair are also likely to discuss the trio of Chinese war ships conducting live fire exercises off Australia with New Zealand's foreign minister complaining that China gave insufficient warning the exercises would take place.
Clark said the three Chinese vessels were not "exactly an invading force" but it was obviously "a point of aggravation" for New Zealand.
"I suspect there's a bit of tit for tat for Australia and New Zealand who cheerfully sail through the Taiwan Straits which China regards as its back yard in the past year or so.
"I think what should most certainly be taken exception to is the firing of live ammunition without notice, I think that's over the top."
The meeting was an opportunity for New Zealand to put its views forward, as well as to hear from one of the world's top diplomats, she said.
"Foreign Minister Wang Yi is acknowledged as a silver fox diplomat, he's been around a long time, he's a very accomplished, very smooth actor."
It was important to keep a good relationship with China which was New Zealand's biggest trade partner, she said.
"It's also an opportunity for New Zealand to be discussing perspectives on some of the issues of global and regional concern where the Chinese have interesting views."
Examples might include finding out how Wang Yi viewed the situation in Myanmar four years after a military coup there or what his thinking was on Ukraine, she said.
"China has this quote friendship without limits with Russia, but there are limits, and from the outset China has called for Ukraine's sovereignty to be respected."
At the recent Munich security conference China called for Ukraine to be at the peace talks, she said.
"Now it seems to be saying you know that it's fully supporting the US-Russian talks which Ukraine isn't involved in - so I think it would be interesting to hear more about this thinking."
Peters' visit was a very important one which was likely setting the stage for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's visit to China later this year, she said.
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