Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 17/7/23

How to talk about diversifying our trade (to reduce a heavy dependence on China) without mentioning “diversification”

Was something missing from the PM’s speech to the China Business Summit?

Point of Order mused on that question after finding no mention of the need to diversify.

We recalled a Newshub report earlier this year headed Value in New Zealand diversifying trade beyond China, Chris Hipkins says, as Nanaia Mahuta flies to Beijing

Point of Order: Buzz from the Beehive - 8/7/23

O’Connor draws attention to CPTPP ministerial meeting in Auckland while the PM flies out for EU FTA signing

Foreign affairs and trade were the focus of the only fresh posts on the government’s official website, since Point of Order’s previous monitoring of what our ministers are up to and how they are spending our money.

Trade and Export Growth Minister Damien O’Connor announced that in Auckland next weekend New Zealand will host the 7th Commission Meeting of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

James Kierstead: Why Britain is in the Pacific

On March 31st, at a meeting of member-countries, it was agreed that the UK would join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

The CPTPP is one of the world’s largest free-trade blocs, accounting for 13% of global GDP, 15% of global trade, and 500 million people.

New Zealand is a founding member of the agreement as well as its depositary – the nation to whom an international treaty is entrusted. New Zealand is also the chair of the CPTPP this year, though its role in helping Britain to the table goes back further, to when New Zealand sent trade negotiators to the UK after the Brexit vote.

Geoffrey Miller: Jacinda Ardern’s trip to Japan and Singapore about more than just trade

International analyst Geoffrey Miller examines the motivations behind Jacinda Ardern’s first foreign trip since February 2020 – and says her tour of Japan and Singapore is about much more than trade

This is far from Jacinda Ardern’s first foreign trip – but it almost feels like one.

Ardern’s tour of Japan and Singapore this week is the first trip abroad by New Zealand’s Prime Minister in 781 days. Ardern has not travelled outside the country since February 2020.

The Government is calling the trip a ‘trade mission’ to show that ‘New Zealand is open for business’, given the phased removal of New Zealand’s Covid-19 border restrictions.