Why is the New Zealand Foreign Minister his wife? Politics News
Wellington, New Zealand – Nanaia Mahuta was only 11 years old when she appeared in favor of her political beliefs.
Mahuta was one of 30 students on the island of a Maori and Pacific school for an Anglican girl, and the South African rugby team was touring New Zealand, dividing the country in the process.
Although the school girl had no idea that it would be one of the biggest civil incidents in New Zealand history, she was unable to take what her school offered to host a group of South African students in her womb – a decision she considered valid apartheid.
Wellington, New Zealand – Nanaia Mahuta was only 11 when she first stood up for her political beliefs.
Mahuta was one of 30 Māori and Pacific Island students at an all-girls Anglican school and the South African rugby team was touring New Zealand, dividing the country in the process.
While the schoolgirl had no idea of what was soon to become one of the largest civil disturbances in New Zealand history, she could not stomach the fact her school had offered to host a group of South African students – a decision she felt validated apartheid.
Rather than simply “dealing with it”, she skipped school in protest.
The survival of the alliance in its current form, though, is under threat after Ms Ardern s administration announced that it was making improved trade relations with Beijing its priority, rather than maintaining its support for Five Eyes. No matter if they have five eyes or ten eyes, as soon as they dare to harm China s sovereignty, security or development interests, they should be careful lest their eyes be poked blind. Zhao Lijian, the spokesman for China s foreign minister,
BBC, November 19, 2020.
New Zealand s naive approach to the threat posed by Beijing not only poses a threat to the future of the alliance itself. There is a distinct possibility that Wellington could find itself being expelled from the alliance over its pro-Beijing stance.
Jacinda Ardern Admits NZ-China Values Becoming ‘Harder to Reconcile’
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has conceded that the interests of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were becoming “harder to reconcile” on the world stage but noted that these differences did not define NZ-China relations.
Ardern’s comments come just weeks after her government endured stinging criticism from UK politicians over Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s reluctance to see the Five Eyes’ arrangement expanded into other areas, including human rights dialogue.
In a speech to the China Business Summit on Monday, Ardern said her government took a “principles-based approach” to foreign policy and made decisions independently and in line with NZ’s interests and values.