Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kiribati President Taneti Maamau (left) attend a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Jan. 6, 2020. (Jason Lee/Reuters)
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kiribati President Taneti Maamau (left) attend a welcoming ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China. 6 January 2020. Photo: Reuters / Jason Lee
The New Zealand government remains tight-lipped on the findings of a review into its development assistance to Kiribati.
It came in the wake of a diplomatic stoush between Foreign Minister Winston Peters and the Kiribati President Taneti Maamau over a proposed visit.
"It was a misunderstanding that has since been clarified," Ruth Cross Kwansing, a Kiribati government MP, told RNZ Pacific.
Both Cross Kwansing and another MP Alexander Teabo, who RNZ Pacific contacted for comment on the matter said it is a matter for the President or those specifically mandated within their portfolios to speak on the matter.
RNZ Pacific has not managed to secure comment from Maamau so far.
However both Ministers did comment on a Data Protection Bill which has just passed its first reading.
On the topic of aid, a New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) spokesperson confirmed it had decided against cutting assistance to Kiribati.
However, they said the findings of the review will not be released for now.
"The review of New Zealand's development programme in Kiribati has concluded and we have shared the initial findings with the Government of Kiribati for discussion," MFAT told RNZ Pacific in a statement.
"To facilitate this discussion, the Terms of Reference and findings of the Review will not be released at this stage.
"However, we are able to confirm that those development programmes still being implemented will not be impacted financially".
Peters' Pacific power play
The review was not prompted by much other than the perceived snub of Peters by the government of Kiribati, a political governance researcher in Western Melanesia explains.
"For the sake of demonstrating to Kiribati that we could change or cut our aid to them should we so want," Terence Wood from the Australian National University's Development Policy Centre said.
"However, I do not think there was any real chance that we were going to reduce our aid to Kiribati.
"China is present in Kiribati, and so that gives us a fairly compelling geo strategic reason to stay present there".
On the money front, Wood said New Zealand gives around NZ$1 billion worth of aid globally.
"Although that is falling at present. So in the coming years, our aid spending is going to get less," Wood said.
"About 63% of our aid goes to the Pacific and although it is a little hard to know what will happen in the future, I think it is a fairly safe bet to say that New Zealand will continue to focus a lot of its aid on the Pacific."
"We'll remove it": Mark Brown said to China's Ambassador to the Pacific, Qian Bo, who told the media an affirming reference to Taiwan in the PIF 2024 communique "must be corrected".
"We'll remove it": Mark Brown said to China's Ambassador to the Pacific, Qian Bo, who told the media an affirming reference to Taiwan in the PIF 2024 communique "must be corrected". Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Lydia Lewis
When it comes to New Zealand's engagement in the Pacific, Wood said it has always had somewhat "mixed motives" that have changed overtime.
"One constant is that we do like to think of ourselves as a partner to the region, as a friendly neighbor, as a country that cares about the Pacific. And I think that's true," Wood said.
"I think if you were to survey the New Zealand public, you'd find that most Kiwis did care about the region. So that's one reason why we do give aid to the Pacific.
"But in recent years, another factor has been shaping our giving quite a lot, and that is China, and China's presence in the Pacific.
"So people are worried, rightly or wrongly about China's presence in the Pacific, and so countries such as Australia and New Zealand are focusing an ever increasing share of their aid on the Pacific to try and counter China's perceived influence."
'Friends to all and enemies to none'
The breif statement Kiribati MP Ruth Cross Kwansing could share around the aid review reflected a saying said a lot by former Pacific Islands Forum secretary general Henry Puna throughout his tenure of the Pacific being "friends to all and enemies to none".
When asked when Kiribati received the report on NZ aid, Kwansing said, "recently".
When asked whether the Kiribati government is satisfied with the outcome she responded:
"Our government cherishes its ongoing friendship with the NZ government".
Kwansing said Pacific leaders prioritise enduring values of humility, respect, and kindness that define our region.
"President Taneti Maamau exemplifies this, offering a powerful lesson to world leaders on God's grace under pressure, calm amidst challenges, and unwavering commitment to stay the course - qualities our ancestral navigators knew well," she added.
"The resilient and joyful spirit of Kiribati reminds us that even as the world contends with turmoil, we cherish our isolation in a place of genuine peace and friendship. Friends to all and enemies to none".