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[Text/Ruan Jiaqi, Observer Network]

According to reports from New Zealand National Radio (RNZ), The New Zealand Herald and other media on the 17th, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon hyped up a number of controversial issues related to China during an interview at the NATO summit, which is causing widespread criticism in the country's political arena.

On Tuesday local time, Helen Clark, who served as New Zealand's prime minister for nine years, teamed up with her former political rival, Don Brash, then leader of the New Zealand opposition, to write a joint statement criticizing Lacson for "dangerously" deviating from New Zealand's independent foreign policy that it has adhered to for decades, and warned that the pro-American tendency shown by the Lacson government is dragging the country "increasingly into the vortex of Sino-US competition."

According to New Zealand media, in the 2005 New Zealand general election, Clark and Brash represented the Labour Party and the National Party respectively in a fierce competition. Clark won the election by a narrow margin of one seat and was re-elected as Prime Minister for the third time. Under the leadership of this leader known for his stability and thoroughness, New Zealand became the first Western developed country to sign and implement a bilateral free trade agreement with China in 2008. While serving as the Administrator of the United Nations Development Program, Clark also vigorously promoted the "Belt and Road" initiative initiated by China.

Last week, the NATO summit ended awkwardly amid suspicions of division. As an "Indo-Pacific partner" invited to the summit, New Zealand Prime Minister Laxon echoed the US and Western views in an exclusive interview with the British media Financial Times, hyping that the New Zealand business community should be more vigilant against the so-called "Chinese espionage threat" and making irresponsible remarks on extraterritorial issues such as Taiwan and the South China Sea. At that time, he claimed that he would not be lenient in criticizing China for fear of "retaliatory economic coercion."

In addition, Lacson also declared that New Zealand was "very open" to participating in the "Second Pillar of the Ocus Agreement" and claimed that the New Zealand Defense Force could become a "military force multiplier for Australia, the United States and other partners."

"Lacson's remarks about Okus and China angered Clark and Brash." According to the New Zealand Herald, on Tuesday local time, the two former political opponents in New Zealand issued a joint statement severely condemning Lacson's remarks, accusing him and the government he leads of abandoning New Zealand's independent foreign policy and leading New Zealand onto the wrong path of becoming a formal military ally of the United States, which means that New Zealand will be increasingly dragged into the competition between China and the United States.

The statement pointed out that in last year's general election, the National Party led by Laxon showed no signs of major changes in New Zealand's foreign policy, but now his controversial remarks on China may "have a significant impact on New Zealand's international trade, defense deployment and public spending."

The New Zealand Herald reported that the joint statement believed that Lacson's comments on Okus went "far beyond" the previous government's position, as did the Lacson government's "obsessive focus" on so-called "Chinese espionage activities."

Referring to Lacson’s claim to reach cooperation with the Philippine military in the South China Sea, the statement bluntly stated in opposition: “The United States requires China to accept the presence of the US Navy near Chinese territorial waters, but if the situation is reversed, the United States itself cannot accept it for a moment.”

"Not only does China not pose a military threat to New Zealand, it is also our largest export market, more than twice as important as the United States," the statement stressed. "It is vital for New Zealand to maintain friendly relations with China. If the Lacson government continues to align with the US position, it will not be impossible to maintain relations, but it will certainly be very difficult."

The statement warned that the Laxon government's radical change in foreign policy would bring huge risks to New Zealand, and that isolating China would be a "reversal" in New Zealand's foreign policy and would not be in New Zealand's interests.

Speaking on RNZ on Wednesday, Clark said Laxon had made comments to the Financial Times that were "more in favor of a military alliance with the United States than they've seen before."

"If you take a lot of the things he said together, it does mean a blunt reset of New Zealand's foreign policy," she said bluntly.

Clark specifically mentioned that New Zealanders had never heard of Lacson's statement that he was "very open" to the "second pillar of the Ocus Agreement". The act of naming and "shaming" China, a major trading partner, has become more frequent in the Lacson government. "Lacson only challenges China because he is following the footsteps of the United States."

"Our exports to China are twice as much as Australia's and more than twice as much as the United States...we have a problem." Clark worried that Luxon's remarks could "put New Zealand's independent foreign policy stance and national economic security on the spot."

RNZ reported that Laxon is on leave and has not yet commented on the joint statement by Clark and Brash. New Zealand ACT leader David Seymour responded in his capacity as acting prime minister, saying he did not believe New Zealand's position had changed under the leadership of the coalition government.

He argued: "We have not been invited to join Pillar Two, we have not accepted to join Pillar Two, we have been having conversations about joining Pillar Two and in fact the last Labour Government under Chris Hipkins was having those conversations as well. So substantively our position has not changed."

Seymour also attacked the two, saying that Clark and Brash "strangely have no moral sense" on issues related to China. He claimed, "We hope to continue to maintain relations with China, but we will not back down because we disagree with something. This is indeed the position we have established with successive governments over the past three or four years."

However, Labour's deputy foreign affairs spokesman Phil Twyford told the New Zealand Herald that Laxon's remarks were a departure from the independent foreign policy of successive governments in handling foreign relations in a cautious and balanced manner.

"New Zealand and China do have differences, but this relationship needs to be handled with respect and maturity," he advised. "Before supporting the United States and NATO in launching a new Cold War against China, Lacson must think clearly about New Zealand's national interests."

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