FORMER PM HELEN CLARK'S LEGACY IN ASIAN FOREIGN POLICY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 WELLINGTON 000042 SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR STATE FOR EAP/ANP PACOM FOR J01E/J2/J233/J5/SJFHQ E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM NZ SUBJECT: FORMER PM HELEN CLARK'S LEGACY IN ASIAN FOREIGN POLICY WELLINGTON 00000042 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary. In a wide-ranging historical look at New Zealand's evolving foreign policy towards Asia over the last half century before a select group hosted by the Asia Forum, former PM Clark discussed her legacy. She characterized New Zealand's emphasis post-World War II as security oriented but that the rise of Asian economies in the last twenty years has shifted the focus to regional economic integration with an emphasis on trade agreements. She said that the 2008 FTA with China affirmed New Zealand's recognition of China's relevance in Asia, but it remains a challenge to convince the New Zealand public -- particularly the young -- that Asia is as important as Australia, Europe and North America to New Zealand's future. End Summary. Helen Clark Looks Back -------------- ¶2. (U) On February 18 and before a small audience of invited members of the diplomatic corps, business and academic communities, Asia Forum hosted former PM Helen Clark to discuss her legacy on New Zealand's Asian foreign policy. Clark opened her remarks by commenting the Secretary of State Clinton's first trip overseas to northeast Asia was evidence of renewed USG interest in Asia. She then noted that New Zealand's post-colonial presence in Asia was as a "displaced piece of the jigsaw," with emphasis squarely on New Zealand's ties to Europe and Australia. The rise of Japan pre-World War II was the first time New Zealand's focus shifted to developments in Asia. In the post-World War II era, New Zealand's soldiers participated in military campaigns in Korea, Malaysia, and Vietnam as New Zealand operated under the security blanket of the United States and SEATO. ¶3. (U) In the 1970s, Britain joined the European Union, and that affected New Zealand and how it viewed its place in the world, noted Clark. With the rise of the economies in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, followed by Vietnam and China, New Zealand began to refocus on the transitions underway in Asia. Prior to 1991, however, Asia largely remained a military issue, said Clark; South Asia was hardly mentioned in foreign policy circles other than within the larger sphere of Commonwealth issues in which New Zealand was engaged. ASEAN changed the security dimension and New Zealand became a dialogue partner, continued Clark. ¶4. (U) The former PM credited APEC during the period 1989-1993, however, with helping New Zealand learn about Asia. She also singled out then-Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Don McKinnon for spearheading the Asia 2000 conference in 1994 as a watershed event highlighting the growing economic opportunities in the Asia Pacific region. The Asian financial crisis in 1998 discouraged New Zealand businesses, but Clark said that, as Prime Minister, she was determined to refocus on Asian business opportunities and signed an FTA with Singapore in 2000 -- New Zealand's first major trade deal since the 1983 Cooperative Economic Relationship (CER) agreement with Australia. ¶5. (U) The events of 9/11 in 2001 once again refocused the world's attention and Clark acknowledged that she did not pick up the ball again until after the 2002 New Zealand elections. Clark noted that she promoted enhanced engagement in Asia in her 2003 remarks to APEC. Australia and New Zealand held a 30-year commemorative summit with ASEAN at the end of 2004, she added, with New Zealand acceding to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) as a signal of GNZ seriousness to engage more fully with ASEAN. ¶6. (U) New Zealand's current foreign policy towards Asia has free trade agreements as a main discussion point, but the underlying theme is broader relationship building in the region. Topics beyond trade and economics center on tourism, energy, migration, and New Zealand's promotion of interfaith dialogue as a counterpoint to radicalism in the region, said Clark. The future challenge for New Zealand is to broaden the understanding and enthusiasm for Asia among the general public. The GNZ and foreign policy experts understand how important Asia is to New Zealand's future but the wider population -- particularly the youth -- are still not "Asia literate" and do not see Asia on the same level with New Zealand's relations with Australia, Europe and North America. Clark credited the support for her 2008 FTA signing with China as demonstrating that New Zealanders understand China's importance and relevance as a growing power. Beyond China, she added, it remains an uphill struggle to make New Zealanders "Asia literate." ¶7. (U) During a lively question/answer period, Clark was asked how New Zealand was viewed in Asia and why NZ foreign policy was so successful. The former PM responded that New Zealand is seen as an honest broker that is not carrying the brief for anyone else and that New Zealand speaks its own mind -- a clear reference to New WELLINGTON 00000042 002.2 OF 002 Zealand's independent foreign policy of which Clark was one of the architects. When asked if New Zealand could play more of a mediating role in conflict areas in Asia, Clark responded that it is a matter of financing. Norway has been successful as a broker in conflict zones such as Timor Leste and the Middle East, she noted, because Norway has a long history of Foreign Ministry capacity to mediate and negotiate. Although Clark gave New Zealand's Foreign Ministry high marks for carrying out its mission during her time in government over the past three decades, she noted that it is not as well resourced as MFAT's counterpart in Oslo. ¶8. (U) Asked about Australian PM Rudd's proposed Asia Pacific community, Clark opined that building a European-style community in East Asia would not be as easy an exercise given the broad political, cultural, and economic differences in Asia. The European model was based on democracy, respect for human rights, rule of law and governance issues. Asian political systems are very different, said Clark, who nevertheless said that New Zealand would watch with interest the reaction to the Rudd proposal within the region. Moving to the financial crisis and a question about addressing reform of international financial institutions, Clark said she was interested in the idea of an Economic Security Council, possibly at the UN, that would humanize globalization and the address/mitigate the potential ripple effects of major financial crises. ¶9. (U) On North Korea, Clark maintained that New Zealand should continue to support the Six Party Talks and credited China for the success of the Six Party Talks. She noted that New Zealand had promised heavy fuel oil if North Korea lived up to its commitments under the Talks. New Zealand was not playing a direct role in the talks with North Korea, said Clark, but that the GNZ was being supportive, including the 2007 visit to North Korea by former FM Winston Peters. ¶10. (SBU) Comment: Clark's remarks offered little new or unexpected; she was clearly in her element speaking with members of the diplomatic corps, foreign policy experts from academia, and those with business interests in Asia. She made a quick aside noting that she had opposed the war in Vietnam as a student, and credited a former high school teacher as well as prominent New Zealand anti-nuclear activist Kate Dewes with helping to shape her views on Asia and politics in general. End Comment.