7 October 2013

New Zealand Should Strengthen Ties with Taiwan

UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne has renewed his call for New Zealand to strengthen its ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Speaking ahead of celebrations this week to mark the 102nd Anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China, Mr Dunne called on New Zealand to strengthen its links with Taiwan.

“We already have very strong economic ties with Taiwan, with Taiwan being a significant trading partner, and the recently concluded economic co-operation agreement between the two countries will take that to an even greater level in the future.

“Our cultural and people-to-people links are growing stronger all the time, with especially strong bonds being established between Māori and the indigenous peoples of Taiwan in recent years.

“Now is the time to take these one step further,” he says.

Mr Dunne says Taiwan shares many similarities with New Zealand.

“We are both vibrant democracies, recognised for our strong commitment to human rights, and there should be scope for working together to promote issues of common concern in international fora, where sometimes Taiwan might not be fully represented.

“We are also Asia/Pacific states with a strong interest in this part of the region, and our relationship could be used to balance off some of the large state tensions that emerge in the area from time to time,” he says.

Mr Dunne says he respects China’s sensitivity over Taiwan, and the impact of this on the ever-growing relationship between New Zealand and China.

“Taiwan’s political future is ultimately for the peoples of Taiwan and China to resolve, but in the meantime, there is no reason why New Zealand should not seek to strengthen its across the board links with Taiwan,” Mr Dunne says.

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