January 25, 2023
No. 023
Chris Hipkins, Member of Parliament of New Zealand, was elected leader of the ruling Labour Party in a vote held during a caucus meeting on the afternoon of January 22. He officially assumed office as the 41st Prime Minister of New Zealand on January 25. The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) sincerely congratulates Prime Minister Hipkins.
New Zealand is an important like-minded partner of Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific, sharing the universal values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. The government of Taiwan deeply appreciates joint statements issued in 2022 by the government of New Zealand at summits with the United States in May and the United Kingdom in July, which underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. It is also grateful for the New Zealand government’s public support of Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organization, International Civil Aviation Organization, and other intergovernmental organizations.
Since Taiwan and New Zealand signed ANZTEC, a bilateral economic cooperation agreement, in 2013, trade between the two countries has continued to grow. Last year, Taiwan surpassed the United Kingdom to become the sixth-largest goods export market for New Zealand. Total bilateral trade in goods also broke the NZ$3 billion mark. In addition, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada became founding members of the Indigenous Peoples Economic and Trade Cooperation Arrangement last March. The arrangement further strengthens links between the indigenous peoples of Taiwan and New Zealand and facilitates cooperation on economic and trade development.
The government of Taiwan hopes to build on the existing solid foundations to further deepen friendly cooperation across all areas with the new administration led by Prime Minister Hipkins. We look forward to working hand in hand to advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. (E)