Photo: RNZ / Nathan McKinnon
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has underlined the need for increased security, and warned against inaction, in a speech on strategic partnerships in Tokyo.
"Prosperity is only possible with security", he warned and - again, later, to underline the message - "there can be no prosperity without security".
The speech was delivered NEC building on Wednesday afternoon in Tokyo, sandwiched between meetings with Japan's Defence Minister the previous night and with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida later in the evening.
He touched on commonalities between New Zealand and Japan: island nations on the Pacific ring of fire, who share democratic values and a love of rugby.
However, he warned the global strategic environment was "undergoing significant change", and "in this context, partners and friends are more important than ever".
"Our common values and ideals - and the existing rules-based international order that protects them - have provided both New Zealand and Japan long periods of peace and stability," he said.
"This order is facing challenges. New geostrategic realities have made our region more complicated, more chaotic, and more challenging to navigate. We can no longer take for granted the ability of the rules-based international order to deliver progress, safeguard our ambition, or protect our interests."
Photo: RNZ / Nathan McKinnon
Luxon warned against inaction in the face of disruption.
"I will be clear. New Zealand will be active and engaged, working alongside Japan and other partners and friends, to use our agency, influence, and role in the world to contribute to and shape global and regional security. We cannot afford not to."
He used the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the "emerging nuclear capability" of North Korea as examples of those disruptive forces, referring back to his announcement earlier in the week of New Zealand providing support for monitoring North Korea.
"Vladimir Putin's visit to Pyongyang today underlines the interconnection between what happens in Europe, and stability in our region."
He made mention of other regional tensions too, including with China.
"It is clear that a serious escalation in the Taiwan Strait, or in the East China Sea, would have profound consequences for New Zealand and Japan, our region, and for the world," he said.
He referred to the impact of supply chain disruption from Covid-19 on both New Zealand and Japan, and New Zealand's decision to get involved in countering the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
"Even as the world becomes ever more complex and contested, we cannot just be an observer. Trade flows drive our growth, support our prosperity, and enable the necessary investment in our security," he said.
"Japan is central to this effort. We have long-standing and strong trading connections, and we are building on this with new and exciting cooperation in the areas of renewable energy, space, and science and innovation. Japan is an important source of high-quality investment in New Zealand, in areas such as forestry, fisheries and energy."
He welcomed Japan's involvement in other global partnerships like the G7 and OECD, and highlighted key partnerships between Japan and New Zealand including the CPTPP trade deal, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, and the Global Research Alliance, painting the two countries as "natural partners" - particularly in the transition to clean energy.
"To take one example: Japanese companies Obayashi and Mitsui are partnering with New Zealand organisations to produce green hydrogen. Obayashi's partnership with Māori-run Tuaropaki Trust now produces New Zealand's first green hydrogen, using geothermal energy to generate the electricity."
He said working together was key, and he intended to participate in other groupings, "to work together more with others, in multilateral or minilateral settings".
"To take one example - next month, I look forward to meeting the leaders of Japan, Australia and South Korea in the format of the Indo Pacific Four, to discuss regional security issues. We have also been watching closely the key strategic role that Japan has been playing in the region, through your membership of the Quad, your closer engagement with the Republic of Korea, and your strengthened relationships with the United States and in trilateral partnerships with the Philippines."
Luxon's speech concluded that security, economics, trade and climate change could not be tackled separately.