Hypocrisy on the world stage will not help New Zealand, Prof Robert Patman says.
University of Otago international relations specialist Prof Patman believes New Zealand’s response to China needs to be firm. But a track record of inconsistent responses to breaches of international law does not help New Zealand, he says.
"I think New Zealand must take a hard look at itself in the mirror,” Prof Patman told Otago Daily Times' Global Insight programme.
The South China Sea is contested territory, with competing and overlapping claims by China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.
Recently, New Zealand was one of 14 nations to mark the 10th anniversary of a United Nations ruling in favour of the Philippines over China in relation to a portion of the Sea.
China rejects the validity of the ruling.
Chinese ambassador Dr Wang Xiaolong rebuked New Zealand for its involvement. He said China had not, and did not intend to, hurt New Zealand’s interests but warned China had the resolve and capability to defend its rights and interests.
Prof Patman said New Zealand should be “polite but firm” in response, reiterating this country’s view that all countries, irrespective of size, should respect international law.
But New Zealand had made it difficult for itself by being unwilling to consistently uphold international law.
'"Small countries like New Zealand do depend on rules; we're weak and we need the protection of that infrastructure... We need to be more consistent if we're going to protect our interests.”
In this episode of Global Insight, Prof Patman outlined the background to the growing tensions in the South China Sea, commented on the impact of Chinese and United States militarisation of the Indo-Pacific and discussed New Zealand’s role in the region.
