FOREIGN
RELATIONS
New Zealand's
foreign policy is oriented chiefly toward developed democratic
nations and emerging Pacific economies. The country's major political
parties have generally agreed on the broad outlines of foreign
policy, and the current coalition government has been active in
multilateral fora on issues of recurring interest to New Zealand--trade
liberalization, environment, and arms control. New Zealand values
the United Nations and its participation in that organization.
It also
values its participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO);
World Bank; International Monetary Fund (IMF); Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); International Energy
Agency; Asian Development Bank; South Pacific Forum; The Pacific
Community; Colombo Plan; Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC);
INTELSAT; and the International Whaling Commission. New Zealand
also is an active member of the Commonwealth. Despite the 1985
rupture in the ANZUS alliance, New Zealand has maintained good
working relations with the United States and Australia on a broad
array of international issues.
In the
past, New Zealand's geographic isolation and its agricultural
economy's general prosperity tended to minimize public interest
in world affairs. However, growing global trade and other international
economic events have made New Zealanders increasingly aware of
their country's dependence on stable overseas markets.
New Zealand's economic involvement with Asia has been increasingly important through expanding trade with the growing economies of Asia. New Zealand is a "dialogue partner" with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and an active participant in APEC. On April 7, 2008 New Zealand signed a free trade agreement with China, the first developed country to do so.
As a charter
member of the Colombo Plan, New Zealand has provided Asian countries
with technical assistance and capital. It also contributes through
the Asian Development Bank and through UN programs and is a member
of the UN Economic and Social Council for Asia and the Pacific.
New Zealand
has focused its bilateral economic assistance resources on projects
in the South Pacific island states, especially on Bougainville.
The country's long association with Samoa (formerly known as Western
Samoa), reflected in a treaty of friendship signed in 1962, and
its close association with Tonga have resulted in a flow of immigrants
and visitors under work permit schemes from both countries. New
Zealand administers the Tokelau Islands and provides foreign policy
and economic support when requested for the freely associated
self-governing states of the Cook Islands and Niue. Inhabitants
of these areas hold New Zealand citizenship.
In 1947,
New Zealand joined Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and
the United States to form the South Pacific Commission, a regional
body to promote the welfare of the Pacific region. New Zealand
has been a leader in the organization. In 1971, New Zealand joined
the other independent and self-governing states of the South Pacific
to establish the South Pacific Forum (now known as the Pacific
Islands Forum), which meets annually at the "heads of government"
level.
U.S.-NEW
ZEALAND RELATIONS
Bilateral relations are excellent. The United States and New Zealand share common elements of history and culture and a commitment to democratic principles. Senior-level officials regularly consult with each on issues of mutual importance. In March 2007, Prime Minister Clark visited Washington, DC, where she met with President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
The United
States established consular representation in New Zealand in 1839
to represent and protect American shipping and whaling interests.
Since the U.K. was responsible for New Zealand's foreign affairs,
direct U.S.-New Zealand diplomatic ties were not established until
1942, when the Japanese threat encouraged close U.S.-New Zealand
cooperation in the Pacific campaign. During the war, more than
400,000 American military personnel were stationed in New Zealand
to prepare for crucial battles such as Tarawa and Guadalcanal.
New Zealand's
relationship with the United States in the post-World War II period
was closely associated with the Australian, New Zealand, United
States (ANZUS) security treaty of 1951, under which signatories
agreed to consult in case of an attack in the Pacific and to "act
to meet the common danger." During the postwar period, access
to New Zealand ports by U.S. vessels contributed to the flexibility
and effectiveness of U.S. naval forces in the Pacific.
Growing
concern about nuclear testing in the South Pacific and arms control
issues contributed to the 1984 election of a Labour government
committed to barring nuclear-armed and nuclear-powered warships
from New Zealand ports. The government's anti-nuclear policy proved
incompatible with long-standing, worldwide U.S. policy of neither
confirming nor denying the presence or absence of nuclear weapons
onboard U.S. vessels.
Implementation
of New Zealand's policy effectively prevented practical alliance
cooperation under ANZUS, and after extensive efforts to resolve
the issue proved unsuccessful, in August 1986 the United States
suspended its ANZUS security obligations to New Zealand. Even
after President Bush's 1991 announcement that U.S. surface ships
do not normally carry nuclear weapons, New Zealand's legislation
prohibiting visits of nuclear-powered ships continues to preclude
a bilateral security alliance with the U.S. The United States
would welcome New Zealand's reassessment of its legislation to
permit that country's return to full ANZUS cooperation.
Despite suspension of U.S. security obligations, the New Zealand Government has reaffirmed the importance it attaches to continued close political, economic, and social ties with the United States and Australia. New Zealand is an active member of the global coalition in the War against Terrorism, and deployed SAS troops to Afghanistan, and naval and air assets to the Persian Gulf. New Zealand has worked closely with the U.S. to promote free trade in the WTO, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) group, and other multilateral fora.
The U.S. and New Zealand work together closely on scientific research in the Antarctic. Christchurch is the staging area for joint logistical support operations serving U.S. permanent bases at McMurdo Station and South Pole, and New Zealand's Scott base, (located just three kilometers from McMurdo Station in the Ross Sea region).
NATIONAL SECURITY
New Zealand has three defense policy objectives--defend New Zealand against
low-level threats, contribute to regional security, and play a part in global
security efforts. New Zealand has considered its own national defense needs to
be modest. Its defense budget generally has provided for selected upgrades in
equipment. Shortly after winning the 1999 election, the Labour government
canceled a lease-to-buy agreement with the U.S. for 28 F-16 aircraft. However,
Labour did embark on a significant defense upgrade and acquisition plan. All
three services have benefited from the upgrades/acquisitions. In 2001, the
government contracted to purchase 105 LAVIIIs for U.S. $300 million, with
delivery completed in 2005. The Army also purchased 321 Light Operational
Vehicles to make its forces more mobile. In 2002, New Zealand announced planned
upgrades of its P3 and C-130 Hercules aircraft, and purchased two Boeing 757
aircraft for U.S. $100 million. In 2006 New Zealand contracted with NH
Industries to purchase eight NH-90 aircraft to start delivery in 2009. In 2007
they entered an agreement to purchase 12 A-109 light helicopters from Agosta to
also start delivery in 2009. The P-3s, C-130s, and B-757s are all currently
being upgraded/modified. In 2007, the Navy began accepting delivery of the U.S.
$250 million Project Protector program consisting of one multi-role vessel
(MRV), two offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), and four inshore patrol vessels
(IPVs).
In May 2001, the government announced it was scrapping its combat air force. New Zealand states it maintains a "credible minimum force," although critics maintain that the country's defense forces have fallen below this standard. New Zealand still maintains the fleet of A-4 Skyhawk jets and Aerromacche jets left over from the scrapping of its combat air force. Its attempts to sell the jets have thus far failed.
With a claimed area of direct strategic concern that extends from Australia to Southeast Asia to the South Pacific, New Zealand necessarily places substantial reliance on its defense relationship with other countries, in particular Australia. However, acknowledging the need to improve its defense capabilities, the government in 2005 announced the Defense Sustainability Initiative allocating an additional NZ$4.6 billion (U.S. $3.19 billion) over 10 years to modernize the country's defense equipment and infrastructure and increase its military personnel. The funding represented a 51% increase in defense spending since the Labour government took office in 1999.
New Zealand is an active participant in multilateral peacekeeping. It has taken a leading role in trying to bring peace, reconciliation, and reconstruction to the Solomon Islands and the neighboring island of Bougainville. New Zealand maintains a contingent in the Sinai Multinational Force and Observers and has contributed to UN peacekeeping operations in Angola, Cambodia, Somalia, and the former Yugoslavia. It also participated in the Multilateral Interception Force in the Persian Gulf. New Zealand's most recent peacekeeping operations experience has been in Timor-Leste, where it initially dispatched almost 10% of its entire defense force. New Zealand participated in Operation Enduring Freedom and has fielded a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan, as well as having deployed a frigate to the Gulf of Oman. In support of the effort to reconstruct Iraq, New Zealand deployed an engineering team to the country.
New Zealand participates in sharing training facilities, personnel exchanges, and joint exercises with the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Brunei, Tonga, and South Pacific states. It also exercises with its Five-Power Defense Arrangement partners--Australia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, and Singapore. Due to New Zealand's antinuclear policy, defense cooperation with the U.S., including training exercises, has been significantly restricted since 1986.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Ambassador--William P. McCormick
Deputy Chief of Mission--David J. Keegan
Public Affairs Counselor--Roy A. Glover
Political and Economic Counselor--Margaret B. McKean
Agricultural Attache--Laura Scandurra
Defense Attache--Capt. R. Martinez, USN
Management Officer--Judith Semilota
Consular Affairs (Auckland)--Nicholas Greanias
Senior Commercial Officer (Sydney)--David Murphy
The U.S. Embassy in New Zealand is located at 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington (tel. 64-4-472-2068, fax 64-4-471-2380). The Embassy website is http://wellington.usembassy.gov/; the South Island Virtual Presence Post is at http://southisland.usvpp.gov/. The U.S. Consulate General in New Zealand is located on the 3rd Floor, Citibank Building, 23 Customs Street East, Auckland (tel. 64-9-303-2724, fax 64-9-366-0870).The website for the Embassy in Samoa is http://samoa.usembassy.gov/.
