Covid heightens political risks in the Pacific, MFAT warns

Tue, 15 Dec 2020

New Zealand must safeguard its economic and political interests in the Pacific as the havoc wreaked by covid-19 opens the door to “non-traditional external partners,” officials have warned.The briefing to the incoming Minister of Trade and Export Growth doesn’t specifically mention China as one of those partners, but the Asian giant has stepped up its involvement in the region as covid-19 decimates economies that are heavily reliant on tourism, remittances and travel to other countries for work.According to the briefing paper,...

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