New Zealand–United States relations
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| New Zealand | United States |
New Zealand-United States relations refers to international relations between New Zealand and the United States of America. New Zealand is a Major non-NATO ally of the United States and has been since 1997. When enacted, the statute designated Australia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, New Zealand, and South Korea as major non-NATO allies, although foreign relations between the two countries have been strained since New Zealand declared itself a nuclear-free zone in June 1987, with the passing of the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act. The Act prohibits "entry into the internal waters of New Zealand 12 miles (22.2 km) radius by any ship whose propulsion is wholly or partly dependent on nuclear power" and bans the dumping of radioactive waste within the nuclear-free zone, as well as prohibiting any New Zealand citizen or resident "to manufacture, acquire, possess, or have any control over any nuclear explosive device."[1] [2] Given that the United States Military refuses to confirm or deny the presence of nuclear weapons aboard their vessels, the new legislation denied access to New Zealand ports for all United States Navy ships and aircraft. In February 1985 the US tested this new legislation by officially requesting entry into New Zealand for its destroyer USS Buchanan (DDG-14). The entry request was refused by the New Zealand government on the basis that the Buchanan was capable of launching nuclear depth bombs. An opinion poll commissioned by the 1986 Defence Committee of Enquiry confirmed that 92 per cent now opposed nuclear weapons in New Zealand and 69 per cent opposed warship visits; 92 per cent wanted New Zealand to promote nuclear disarmament through the UN, while 88 per cent supported the promotion of nuclear free zones. [3] The United States subsequently made inoperative its defense arrangements with New Zealand under the ANZUS Treaty.
Despite the 1985 disagreement with ANZUS, New Zealand has maintained a good working relationship with the United States on a broad number of international issues and are steadily working towards a future alliance despite the nuclear matter. Both the United States and New Zealand share some common ancestry and history (see British Empire), having both been British colonies. Both countries had native peoples who were dispossessed of their land by the process of colonisation. Both have been part of the Western alliance of nations in various wars. There are numerous other similarities between the two countries.
[edit] History
| “ | New Zealand and the United States are old friends. While the United States is an immensely powerful nation, New Zealand is a small country, possessing for the most part only soft power, but with a record of deploying to help troubled nations find a way forward. New Zealand and the United States, with our strong shared values, can work together to shape a better world, as we are. That, and our strong economic, scientific, education, and people to people ties, makes this relationship a very important one to New Zealand, which we seek to strengthen. | ” |
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—Prime Minister, Helen Clark, Speech to Asia Society, Washington D.C., 23 March 2007[4] |
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For its first hundred years, New Zealand followed the United Kingdom's lead on foreign policy. In declaring war on Germany on 3 September 1939, Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage proclaimed, "Where she goes, we go; where she stands, we stand". After the war the United States—which had stationed a number of troops in the country during the war—exerted an increased influence on culture and the New Zealand people gained a clearer sense of national identity. New Zealand joined with Australia and the United States in the ANZUS security treaty in 1951, and later fought alongside the United States in both the Korean and, to a lesser extent, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the Afghanistan conflict.
[edit] ANZUS Treaty
The Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS or ANZUS Treaty) is the military alliance which binds Australia and New Zealand and, separately, Australia and the United States to cooperate on defence matters in the Pacific Ocean area, though today the treaty is understood to relate to defence operations.
Australia and New Zealand both provided military units, including special forces and naval ships in support of the US led "Operation Enduring Freedom" (support for anti-Taliban forces in the Afghanistan civil war in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks).
The ANZUS Treaty's provisions for assistance when a member nation comes under threat were officially invoked for the first time by Australia, to justify the Australian commitment in Afghanistan. (Australia and New Zealand have fought alongside the United States before the treaty signing, including in the Second World War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and elsewhere without needing to invoke the alliance.)
[edit] Post ANZUS thawing of military ties with the US
In May 2006, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Christopher R. Hill, described the New Zealand anti-nuclear issue as "a relic", and signalled that the US wanted a closer defence relationship with New Zealand. He also praised New Zealand's involvement in Afghanistan and reconstruction in Iraq. "Rather than trying to change each other's minds on the nuclear issue, which is a bit of a relic, I think we should focus on things we can make work"[5]
While there have been signs of the nuclear dispute between the United States and New Zealand thawing out, pressure from the United States increased in 2006 with US trade officials linking the repeal of the ban of American nuclear ships from New Zealand's ports to a potential free trade agreement between the two countries.
[edit] New Zealand, Australia and United States Axis
New Zealand has traditionally worked closely with Australia, whose foreign policy followed a similar historical trend. In turn, many Pacific Islands such as Western Samoa have looked to New Zealand's lead. The American influence on New Zealand was weakened by the disappointment with the Vietnam War, the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior by France, and by disagreements over environmental and agricultural trade issues and New Zealand's nuclear-free policy.
While the ANZUS Treaty was once fully mutual between Australia, New Zealand and the United States, this is no longer the case. In February 1985, New Zealand refused nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed ships access to its ports. New Zealand became a Nuclear-free zone in June 1987, the first Western-allied state to do so. In 1986 the United States announced that it was suspending its treaty security obligations to New Zealand pending the restoration of port access. The New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987 prohibits the stationing of nuclear weapons on the territory of New Zealand and the entry into New Zealand waters of nuclear armed or propelled ships. This legislation remains a source of contention and the basis for the United States' continued suspension of treaty obligations to New Zealand.[6]
[edit] Conflicts fought alongside the United States
- Further information: Battle of Kolombangara
In addition to the various wars between iwi, and between the British settlers and iwi, New Zealand has fought in the Second Boer War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency (and committed troops, fighters and bombers to the subsequent confrontation with Indonesia), the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the Afghanistan War; it has also sent a unit of army engineers to help rebuild Iraqi infrastructure for one year during the Iraq War. As of 2007, New Zealand forces are still active in Afghanistan.
[edit] The Middle East (1982–present)
New Zealand has assisted the United States and Britain in many of their military activities in the Middle East. However New Zealand forces have fought only in Afghanistan; in other countries New Zealand support has been in the form of support and engineering. During the Iran-Iraq War two New Zealand frigates joined the Royal Navy in monitoring merchant shipping in the Persian Gulf. and in 1991, New Zealand contributed three transport aircraft and a medical team to assist coalition forces in the Gulf War.
New Zealand's heaviest military involvement in the Middle East in recent decades has been in Afghanistan following the United States-led invasion of that country after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Fifty Special Air Service of New Zealand (SAS) units were dispatched, and in March 2002 they took part in Operation Anaconda against about 500 to 1000 al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains southeast of Zorma, Afghanistan. New Zealand has also supplied two transport aircraft and a 122-strong tri-service Provincial Reconstruction Team, which has been located in Bamyan Province since 2003.
[edit] Afghanistan (2001–2005)
- Further information: NZ SAS
Starting in late 2001, the SAS began operations assisting in the War on Terrorism in Afghanistan. Three six-month rotations of between 40 and 65 soldiers from the Special Air Service of New Zealand served in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom before the unit was withdrawn in November 2005.[1] On 17 June 2004, two SAS soldiers were wounded in a predawn gun-battle in central Afghanistan.
Secrecy still surrounds most of the operations in Afghanistan of the Special Air Service of New Zealand, although a Radio New Zealand news piece claimed the service had maintained a mission success rate of 100%.[citation needed]
According to a New Zealand government fact sheet released in July 2007, the SAS soldiers routinely patrolled enemy territory for three weeks or more at a time, often on foot, after being inserted by helicopter.
There were "casualties on both sides" during gun battles, but no New Zealanders were killed.
In December 2004, the United States Navy Presidential Unit Citation was awarded to those units that comprised the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-SOUTH/Task Force K-BAR between 17 October 2001 and 30 March 2002 for "extraordinary heroism" in action. One of these units was the Special Air Service of New Zealand.
The citation said SAS units helped "neutralise" Taliban and al-Qaeda in "extremely high risk missions, including search and rescue, special reconnaissance, sensitive site exploitation, direct action missions, destruction of multiple cave and tunnel complexes, identification and destruction of several known al-Qaeda training camps, explosions of thousands of pounds of enemy ordnance."
"They established benchmark standards of professionalism, tenacity, courage, tactical brilliance and operational excellence while demonstrating superb esprit de corps and maintaining the highest measures of combat readiness."
[edit] Iraq (2003 to date)
In accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483 New Zealand contributed a small engineering and support force to assist in post-war reconstruction and provision of humanitarian aid. The engineers returned home in October, 2004 and New Zealand is still represented in Iraq by liaison and staff officers working with coalition forces.
[edit] Korean War 1950–1953
New Zealand was among to respond to the United Nations call for help. New Zealand joined 15 other nations including the United Kingdom and the United States in the anti-communist war. But the Korean War was also significant, as it marked New Zealand's first move towards association with the United States[7] in supporting that country's stand against communism.
New Zealand contributed six frigates, several smaller craft and a 1044 strong volunteer force (known as K-FORCE) to the Korean War. The ships were under the command of a British flag officer[8] and formed part of the US Navy screening force during the Battle of Inchon, performing shore raids and inland bombardment. New Zealand troops remained in Korea in significant numbers for four years after the 1951 armistice, although the last New Zealand soldiers did not leave until 1957 and a single liaison officer remained until 1971. A total of 3,794 New Zealand soldiers served in K-FORCE and 1300 in the Navy deployment. 33 were killed in action, 79 wounded and one soldier was taken prisoner. That prisoner was held in North Korea for eighteen months and repatriated after the armistices.
Korea decided:
-United States
United Nations intervenes:
-spread of communism
New Zealand involvement:
-K-Force
[edit] Vietnam War
New Zealand's involvement in the Vietnam War was highly controversial, sparking widespread protest at home from anti-Vietnam War movements modelled on their American counterparts.[9] This conflict was also the first in which New Zealand did not fight alongside the United Kingdom, instead following the loyalties of the ANZUS Pact.[10]
New Zealand's initial response was carefully considered and characterised by Prime Minister Keith Holyoake's cautiousness towards the entire Vietnam question. New Zealand non-military economic assistance would continue from 1966 onwards and averaged at US$347,500 annually. This funding went to several mobile health teams to support refugee camps, the training of village vocational experts, to medical and teaching equipment for Hue University, equipment for a technical high school and a contribution toward the construction of a science building at the University of Saigon. Private civilian funding was also donated for 80 Vietnamese students to take scholarships in New Zealand.
The government preferred minimal involvement, with other South East Asian deployments already having a strain on the New Zealand armed forces. From 1961, New Zealand came under pressure from the United States to contribute military and economic assistance to South Vietnam, but refused.
American pressure continued for New Zealand to contribute military assistance[11], as the United States would be deploying combat units (as opposed to merely advisors) itself soon, as would Australia. Holyoake justified New Zealand's lack of assistance by pointing to its military contribution to the Indonesia-Malaysian Confrontation, but eventually the government decided to contribute. It was seen as in the nation's best interests to do so—failure to contribute even a token force to the effort in Vietnam would have undermined New Zealand's position in ANZUS and could have had an adverse effect on the alliance itself. New Zealand had also established its post-Second World War security agenda around countering communism in South-East Asia and of sustaining a strategy of forward defence, and so needed to be seen to be acting upon these principles. On 27 May 1965 Holyoake, announced the government's decision to send 161 Battery, Royal New Zealand Artillery to South Vietnam in a combat role. The Engineers were replaced by the Battery in July 1965.
In 1966, when Confrontation came to an end and Australia decided to expand the 1st Australian Task Force, New Zealand came under pressure to increase its commitment and did so.
In March 1968 they were integrated—forming the 2RAR/NZ (ANZAC) Battalion, with New Zealand personnel assuming various positions in the battalion, including that of second in command. The rifle companies were deployed on infantry operations in Phuoc Tuy Province and were replaced several times, usually after a 12-month tour of duty. Two more RNZAF pilots joined No. 9 Squadron in 1968 and from December 1968 two forward air controllers served with the Seventh Air Force, United States Air Force.[12]
As American focus shifted to President Richard Nixon's 'Vietnamization'—a policy of slow disengagement from the war, by gradually building up the Army of the Republic of Vietnam so that it could fight the war on its own, New Zealand dispatched the 2nd New Zealand Army Training Team Vietnam in January 1971. Numbering 25 men, it assisted the United States Army Training Team in Chi Lang. In February 1972 a second training team, 18 strong (including two Royal New Zealand Navy personnel), was deployed to Vietnam and was based at Dong Ba Thin, near Cam Ranh Bay. It assisted with the training of Cambodian infantry battalions. This team also provided first aid instruction and specialist medical instruction at Dong Ba Thin's 50-bed hospital. [13]
[edit] Vietnam War and 'Agent Orange'
Like veterans from many of the other allied nations, as well as Vietnamese civilians, New Zealand veterans of the Vietnam War claimed that they (as well as their children and grandchildren) had suffered serious harm as a result of exposure to Agent Orange – the code name for a powerful herbicide and defoliant used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the conflict. In 1984, Agent Orange manufacturers paid New Zealand, Australian and Canadian veterans in an out-of-court settlement , and in 2004 Prime Minister Helen Clark's government apologised to Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other toxic defoliants, following a health select committee's inquiry into the use of Agent Orange on New Zealand servicemen and its effects. In 2005, the New Zealand government confirmed that it supplied Agent Orange chemicals to the United States military during the conflict. Since the early 1960s, and up until 1987, it manufactured the 2,4,5T herbicide at a plant in New Plymouth which was then shipped to U.S. military bases in South East Asia
[edit] Hurricane Katrina
On April 30, 2005 NZST (August 29 UTC-6/-5) Prime Minister Helen Clark sent condolences by phone and in a letter with an offer of help to United States President George W. Bush and Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff also sent a message of sympathy to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. This offer included an official pledge by the New Zealand Government to the Red Cross of $2 million for aid and disaster relief.
After the New Zealand government's initial pledge of money, they offered further contributions to the recovery effort including Urban Search and Rescue Teams, a Disaster Victim Identification team and post disaster recovery personnel.[14] Those offers were gratefully received by the United States. A senior member of the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, John Titmus went to Denton, Texas to lead an official UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team to assess the damage from Hurricane Katrina. The US Embassy in Wellington said it deeply appreciated the $2 million donation and gratefully acknowledged the offer of disaster management personnel. [15]
[edit] New Zealand and United States relations today
- Further information: List of Ambassadors from New Zealand to the United States
New Zealand and the United States maintain good working relations on a broad array of issues and share an excellent system of communication. The President of the United States George W. Bush and Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark have been able to improve the two nations relations and work around New Zealand's anti-nuclear policy and focus on working together on more important issues, although the United States is still interested in changing New Zealand's anti-nuclear policy. After Helen Clark's visit to Washington and talks with President Bush, The New Zealand Herald reported this story: - (Friday March 23, 2007)
"The United States yesterday conceded that New Zealand's anti-nuclear policy is strongly supported by Kiwis - a tacit acknowledgment that America no longer seeks to change it. The concession was made by President George W. Bush behind closed doors in his formal talks with Prime Minister Helen Clark. It marks a turning point in the US-NZ relationship. Helen Clark left Washington last night positive about the reception she received on a free trade agreement from both Mr Bush and the United States Trade Representative Susan Schwab. After talks with the President, the PM raised the prospect of greater participation by the United Nations in Iraq, a hint that she may encourage such a move.
The acknowledgment on the nuclear issue will not alter the fact that the United States still has sanctions against New Zealand, principally banning joint military exercises. But it represents a turning point in the relationship that soured after the Fourth Labour Government passed anti-nuclear legislation, effectively banning US warships and ending the 35-year ANZUS military alliance. The nuclear issue and the US sanctions will still matter, but not nearly as much as they have. The United States has never had an overt policy of seeking repeal of the 20-year-old law but that has been the well-understood position.
Now Washington has decided to step around it and to seek new areas of co-operation.
Its new approach to New Zealand was confirmed when it became clear that National Party had adopted a bipartisan policy on the law, that New Zealand was becoming more valuable to the US, particularly in Asia and the Pacific, and that it needed to foster friends. The acknowledgment by Mr Bush in the formal talks was not just a casual observation. Such statements are carefully planned in the detailed preparation for bilateral meetings when positions and plans are discussed. Mr Bush himself did not mention the nuclear issue in his public appearance with Helen Clark in the Oval Office after their talks and avoided controversies such as Iraq and the prospect of the United States Congress extending his fast-track trade promotion authority when it runs out in June.
The PM said later it had been discussed "in the context of the US being well aware that this a well-supported policy within New Zealand".
She said he read the situation correctly and that it was not a barrier to good relations.
Mr Bush and Helen Clark made statements after their talks but he would not take questions. It took a little of the shine off the visit but Helen Clark fell victim to domestic politics. Mr Bush almost certainly wanted to avoid talking about the conflict he is in with the Congress over the purge of US attorneys. He praised Helen Clark personally as a "straight-forward honest woman who cares deeply about the country she represents". He also praised her leadership on Pacific problems.
The Prime Minister's two-day Washington visit allowed her to put New Zealand's case for a free trade agreement if the United States gets to the point of adding any country to the list of those it's negotiating with. Mr Bush echoed the views of politicians Helen Clark met on Capitol Hill when he said negotiating a deal with New Zealand would not present many problems.
Said Helen Clark: "I've come away thinking there'll be a time. I don't think it's a question of if - I think it's a question of when."
After her meeting with Susan Schwab, she believed New Zealand would get "a close look" if an opening came up in the remaining two years.
Helen Clark also met United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at the Pentagon."
[edit] United States - New Zealand Free Trade Agreement
- Further information: New Zealand free trade agreements
There are strong economic, political and trade policy reasons for the early launch of negotiations to devise a free trade agreement (FTA) between the United States and New Zealand. Such an agreement would presumably be pursued alongside, or together with, an FTA between the United States and Australia since New Zealand and Australia have had their own FTA for almost twenty years and their economies are by now closely integrated.[16]
New Zealand is very small compared with the United States so the economic impact of an FTA would be quite modest for the United States and considerably larger for New Zealand. However, US merchandise exports to New Zealand would rise by about 25 percent and virtually every US sector would benefit. The inclusion of Australia would increase the magnitude of these results substantially; US exports would rise by about $3 billion. The adjustment costs for the United States would be minimal: production in the most impacted sector, dairy products, would decline by only 0.5 percent and any adverse effect on jobs would be very small. It would also contribute toward the accomplishment of APEC's goals of achieving “free and open trade and investment in the (Asia Pacific) region by 2010,”
An FTA with the United States would also tangibly recognize New Zealand's innovative and sweeping economic reforms of the past two decades, and thus offer incentives for other countries to do likewise. In addition, the excellent record of New Zealand's (as well as the United States) prior FTAs suggests that such a bilateral pact could develop creative new ideas to pave the way for broader multilateral agreements, in APEC and especially at the World Trade Organization, on some of the difficult issues that will be on the agenda for their major upcoming negotiations.
There is thus a compelling case for the early launch of negotiations for an FTA between New Zealand and the United States. The government of New Zealand has indicated its strong desire to pursue such a pact. [17]
On February 4, 2008, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab announced that the United States will join negotiations 4 Asia-Pacific countries: Brunei, Chile, New Zealand & Singapore to be known as the "P-4". These nations already have an FTA called the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership and the United States will be looking to become involved in the "vitally important emerging Asia-Pacific region" A number of U.S. organizations support the negotiations including, but not limited to: the United States Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, National Foreign Trade Council, Emergency Committee for American Trade and Coalition of Service Industries.[18][19]
[edit] Congressional support
The Friends of New Zealand Congressional Caucus Member numbers now stand at 62 [20]
Congressional support is vital for the US free trade agenda. New Zealand already enjoys strong support in the United States Congress - both in the House of Representatives and the Senate:
- Several letters to the President signed by Congressmen and women from both sides of the House – have recommended negotiations with New Zealand
- Leading Senators Baucus, Grassley and, most recently, presidential nominee John McCain have also advocated a negotiation with New Zealand
- Friends of New Zealand Caucus was established in the Congress in February 2005 led by Representatives Kolbe (R-Arizona) and Tauscher (D-California).
- Congressional support is enhanced by the absence of any difficulty New Zealand might pose in terms of non trade issues such as environment or labour.[21]
[edit] Sports
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[edit] Rugby
New Zealand and the United States have historically had little connection over sports. Sport in New Zealand largely reflects its British colonial heritage. Some of the most popular sports in New Zealand, namely rugby, cricket and netball, are primarily played in British Commonwealth countries, whereas America is predominantly stronger in Baseball, Basketball and American Football. But in recent years there has been much more cooperation in the area of sports between both countries, particularly in Rugby and Soccer. In January 2008 during the New Zealand Stage of the 2007-08 IRB Sevens World Series the United States national team participated in the finals of the knockout round, beating Kenya to win the shield and New Zealand beating Samoa in the finals to win the Cup.
[edit] Soccer
Soccer is still a smaller sport in both New Zealand and the United States and is far less publicised in both nations, but ties to teams in both countries have been growing, particularly when on December 1, 2007, Wellington Phoenix played a friendly match against United States MLS club Los Angeles Galaxy.[22][23] In the contract to secure the friendly, David Beckham will play a minimum of 55 minutes on the pitch. Wellington was beaten by a 1-4 scoreline. David Beckham played the entire match and scored from the penalty spot in the second half. The attendance of 31,853 was a record for any football match in New Zealand.[24] David Beckham played the full 90 minutes with a broken rib which he sustained in a tackle in the previous match. [25]
[edit] Basketball
Probably the most well-known former New Zealand Tall Black player in the National Basketball Association is Phoenix Suns forward Sean Marks, who is in his fifth NBA season. Another New Zealand player, former University of Wisconsin-Madison star Kirk Penney, signed in 2005 with two-time defending Euroleague champions Maccabi Tel Aviv.
[edit] Golf
The 2005 U.S. Open Golf Championship was the second major win by a New Zealand golfer and earned winner Michael Campbell much recogniton in his sport for beating out golfing legend Tiger Woods to win the $1.17 million prize in the final round. [26]
[edit] Motor Racing
The 92nd Indianapolis 500-Mile Race was run on Sunday, 25 May 2008 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It was won by Scott Dixon of New Zealand, the first kiwi ever to do so.[27]
[edit] Controversies
- In an interview with Newsweek magazine, Democratic Presidential Hopeful Hillary Clinton described Helen Clark as a "former" prime minister of New Zealand. The comment came during an interview with magazine when Mrs Clinton was asked to tell a joke.
"Here's a good one," she said. "Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand: her opponents have observed that in the event of a nuclear war, the two things that will emerge from the rubble are the cockroaches and Helen Clark."
The Dominion Post reported today that Helen Clark found the anecdote amusing and suggested Mrs Clinton should talk to her husband, former US president Bill Clinton.
"As a current prime minister I spoke with him as a former US president in London only two weeks ago."
- Mrs Clinton once said her parents named her after Sir Edmund Hillary. Then it was pointed out to her that she was born more than five years before he climbed Mt Everest. [28]
[edit] Shared history
The two countries share much in common – much more, in fact, than the US does with countries in the Americas, Asia or even Europe:
- Apart from their common language and status as fully developed new world economies, both countries soldiers have fought together in the two world wars and New Zealand supported US interests in every regional conflict in the 20th century and lately in the war against terrorism.
- Their cultures are relatively aligned and they continue to stand together on many of the same issues, such as the need to spread democracy and human rights around the globe, and the advantages of freer trade and the rule of international trade law.
- New Zealand and the US were also closely related when they worked almost exclusively for the formation of the United Nations.
- Even though ANZUS is no longer a strong link between the two countries, they worked very closely in SEATO during 1954-77.
| UKUSA Community |
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- Both of them are close allies in the WTO and committed to the goal of free trade and investment in the APEC region by 2010.[21]
[edit] New Zealand and the UKUSA Community
New Zealand is an exclusive member of a collection of five countries who participate in the highly secretive ECHELON program. New Zealand has two (known) listening posts run by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) as part of the ECHELON spy network. The country (New Zealand) has benefited from its role in the ECHELON communications interception network, which also includes the U.S., Australia, Britain and Canada or the UKUSA Community. The partnership gives "a direct line into the inner circles of power in London and Washington".[29]
New Zealand's role in the program is based at a listening post in the South Island of New Zealand at Waihopai Valley just south-west of Blenheim. Its primary role is the interception of a large volume of satellite phone calls, telexes, faxes, e-mail and computer data communications. It gathers this data from New Zealand's Asia/Pacific neighbours, and forwards it on to the major partners in the UKUSA Agreement, including the US National Security Agency.[30] Few details of the facility are known, but it is believed that it intercepts and processes all phone calls, faxes, e-mail and computer data communications.[31] It gathers this data from New Zealand's and Asia/Pacific neighbours, and forwards it to the UKUSA consortium's distinguished customers, including the United States Department of Homeland Security.[32]
The Waihopai station is a sister operation to a similar facility run at Tangimoana. [33]
This gives New Zealand a distinct partnership with the United States not just on economic policies but domestic security agreements and operations as well, and is a familiar platform for further deals involving both countries.[34]
[edit] UKUSA Military Exercises
The UKUSA community allows member countries to cooperate in multilateral military exercises, more recently focussing on terrorism after 9/11. On March 10th 2008 (NZT) New Zealand, Canada, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom took part in a massive multinational war game that simulated a terrorist attack on "strategic networks" like power grids, financial centres and telecommunications focussing mainly on cyber-terrorism. The exercise was named Cyber Storm 2 and was co-ordinated by the United States Department of Homeland Security and the New Zealand Government Communications Security Bureau.[35] It was used to identify policies & issues that affect cyber response & recovery by government agencies. [36]
The exercise encompassed:
- 8 Government Departments and 3 Government Agencies
- The States of: Michigan, Montana, New York, Washington
- 9 major IT firms
- 6 electric utility firms (generation, transmission & grid operations)
- 2 major air carriers
and focussed on IT, Energy, Finance.
After the exercise the NZ 'CCIP' (Centre for Critical Infrastructure Protection) said in a statement.
"The New Zealand component of the exercise was successful in testing information sharing and response coordination across both public and private sectors and national and international cooperation,"
A report on the overall results will be published at some stage ahead of Cyber Storm III scheduled for 2010. [37]
[edit] Strategic Alliance Cyber Crime Working Group
The Strategic Alliance Cyber Crime Working Group' is a new initiative by Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and headed by the United States as a "formal partnership between these nations dedicated to tackling larger global crime issues, particularly organized crime". The cooperation consits of "five countries from three continents banding together to fight cyber crime in a synergistic way by sharing intelligence, swapping tools and best practices, and strengthening and even synchronizing their respective laws." This means that there will be increased information sharing between the New Zealand Police and the FBI on matters relating to serious fraud or cyber crime. [38]
[edit] Bilateral representation
There are many official contacts between New Zealand and the United States, which provide the opportunity for high-level discussions and the continued development of bilateral relations. Many ministers meet with their US counterparts at international meetings and events.
[edit] American tours by New Zealand delegates and ministers
New Zealand Ministerial Visits to the United States
| Dates | Minister/Delegate | Cities visited | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2007 | Gerry Brownlee and Shane Jones, chairman and deputy chairman of the New Zealand United States Parliamentary Friendship Group | Washington D.C. | Visited Washington for a series of meetings, including calls on their counterparts, co-chairs of the Friends of New Zealand Congressional Caucus, Representatives Ellen Tauscher and Kevin Brady amongst others. They were accompanied by NZUS Council Executive Director Stephen Jacobi who stayed on in Washington to further plan for the upcoming Partnership Forum. |
| May 2007 | Minister of Trade, Defence, and Disarmament and Arms Control, Phil Goff | Washington D.C. | Mr Goff met with senior Administration officials including USTR Susan Schwab; Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley; Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns; Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne; then Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, Frank Lavin; and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Chris Hill. |
| May 2007 | Minister of Trade, Defence, and Disarmament and Arms Control, Phil Goff | Washington D.C. | The Minister delivered an address on the outlook for the Doha Round at a well attended US Chamber/US NZ Council luncheon. The Minister also witnessed the signing of an agreement for New Zealand's third contribution to the G8 Global Partnership for the disposal of Weapons of Mass Destruction. |
| May 2007 | Economic Development Minister, Trevor Mallard | Boston | To attend BIO 2007 which was attended by more than 40 New Zealand biotechnology companies |
| May 2007 | Economic Development Minister, Trevor Mallard | Boston and New York | To promote New Zealand to US financial and investment contacts and to discuss international economic trends. |
| 19-24 March 2007 | The Prime Minister, Helen Clark | Washington D.C., Chicago and Seattle | Her two-day visit to Washington D.C. included a meeting and lunch at the White House with President George W Bush (as well as other senior Bush Administration officials), and meetings with the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, the US Trade Representative, Susan Schwab, and the Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Mike McConnell. She also made calls on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and Senator Barbara Boxer, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs. |
| January 2007 | Prime Minister and Sir Edmund Hillary | Antarctica | To celebrate 50 years of Antarctica cooperation between New Zealand and the United States. |
| Early January 2007 | Hon Chris Carter, Minister of Conservation | Washington D.C. | Represented New Zealand at the funeral of former President Gerald Ford |
| October 2006 | Minister of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, Hon Rick Barker | Boston and Washington D.C. | Official Visit |
| July 2006 | Minister of Foreign Affairs Rt Hon Winston Peters | Washington DC | Official visit |
| April 2006 | Minister of Defence and Minister of Trade, Hon Phil Goff, and Minister of Immigration Hon David Cunliffe | Washington DC | Official visit |
| January and March 2006 | Minister Phil Goff and Economic Development Minister Mallard | California | Official visit |
| May 2005 | Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Goff, Customs Minister Barker and Economic Development and Forestry Minister Anderton | Various | Separate official visits |
| April 2005 | Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Margaret Wilson | Washington DC and Philadelphia | Led a parliamentary delegation to the US |
| April 2005 | Associate Minister of Finance, Hon Trevor Mallard | Washington DC | IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings |
| September 2004 | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Michael Cullen | Washington DC | Official Visit |
| Other Ministerial visits in 2004 | Minister of Health, Hon Annette King; Minister for Trade Negotiations, Hon Jim Sutton; Minister of Energy, Hon Pete Hodgson; and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon Phil Goff. | Various | Separate Official Visits |
| Visits in 2003 | Minister of Police, George Hawkins; Associate Minister of Agriculture, Damien O'Connor; Minister of State, David Cunliffe; The Minister of Education and Associate Minister of Finance, Trevor Mallard; Minister for Research, Science and Technology, Pete Hodgson and The Minister of Health, Annette King. | Various | Various |
| Visits in 2002 | Prime Minister, Helen Clark | Various | Made two official visits to the United States in 2002 |
| 2002 | Other Ministerial visits included Deputy Prime Minister Dr Michael Cullen, Minister for Foreign Affairs Phil Goff and Minister for Trade Negotiations Jim Sutton. | Various | Official Visits |
[edit] New Zealand tours by United States delegates
United States delegations to New Zealand
| Dates | Minister/Delegate | Cities visited | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2006 | Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Glyn Davies | Wellington | Official Visit |
| May 2006 | Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire | Auckland | Official Visit |
| April 2006 | Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson | Auckland | Official Visit |
| March 2006 | Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher R. Hill | Wellington | Official Visit |
| January 2006 | General John Abizaid, Commander US Central Command & William J. Fallon, Commander, US Pacific Command | Various | Official Visit |
| January 2006 | Senators John McCain (R-Arizona), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Susan Collins (R-Maine), and John Sununu (R-New Hampshire) | Various | Official Visit |
| January 2006 | Congressman Sherwood Boehlert (R-New York) | Various | Led a House Science Committee delegation –The delegation included: Lincoln Davis (D-Tennessee), Bob Inglis (R-North Carolina), Brad Miller (D-North Carolina), Ben Chandler (D-Kentucky), R (Bud) Cramer (D-Alabama), Phil Gingery (R-Georgia), Darlene Hooley (D-Oregon), Jim Costa (D-California), and Roscoe Bartlett (R-Maryland) |
| September 2005 | Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns | Various | Official Visit |
| 2005 | Congressman Jim Kolbe (Republican, Arizona) | Various | Is the co-Chair of the Friends of New Zealand Caucus in the United States House of Representatives |
| December 2004 | US Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) | Wellington | High-level visits to attend Parliamentarians for Global Action Conference |
| November 2004 | US Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana) | Various | Led a business delegation from Montana |
| November 2004 | Delegation of Californian State Senators | Various | Official Visit |
| August 2004 | US Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) and Congressman Robert Cramer (D-Alabama) | Various | Official Visit |
| March 2004 | Governor of Iowa, Thomas Vilsack | Various | Led a biotechnology trade delegation from his state to New Zealand. |
| January 2004 | Led by Senator Don Nickles (R-Oklahoma) | Various | A Congressional Delegation of six Republican Senators |
| Visits in 2003 | Under-Secretary for Regulatory Programs, Bill Hawks, Under-Secretary for Commerce Grant Aldonas and Under-Secretary of State for International Security and Arms Control, John Bolton. | Auckland | US delegation also visited Auckland for the 34th Pacific Islands Forum, where the US was a dialogue partner. |
[edit] New Zealand United States Council
Founded in 2001, the New Zealand United States Council is committed to fostering and developing a strong and mutually beneficial relationship between New Zealand and the United States. The Council is an advocate for the expansion of trade and economic links between the two countries including a possible free trade agreement.[39]
The Council works closely with its counterpart in Washington, D.C., the US NZ Council, with business groups in New Zealand and with government agencies, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the New Zealand Embassy in Washington.[39]
The council has been working tirelessly towards an improvement in NZ-US relations with New Zealand MPs (Ministers of Parliament) and their American counterparts in Congress. Such things as verbal and face-to-face discussions about political and domestic issues involving either countries. Their work has not been in vain: United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has begun regular communication with New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters about issues such as nuclear tests in North Korea, and other issues of politics, trade and business affairs of both New Zealand and the United States.[40]
[edit] See also
- New Zealand
- United States
- New Zealand-Canada relations
- UKUSA Community
- APEC
- SEATO
- Embassy of the United States in Wellington
- Foreign relations of New Zealand
- Foreign relations of the United States
- Military history of New Zealand
- Military history of the United States
- USS Glacier (AGB-4)
[edit] References
- ^ New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Extension Bill - Green Party
- ^ Nuclear Free Zone
- ^ Disarmament and Security Centre - Publications - Papers
- ^ United States of America - Country Information Paper - NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- ^ US offers closer defence links with New Zealand
- ^ New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987 No 86 (as at 03 September 2007), Public Act – New Zealand Legislation
- ^ New Zealand in the Korean War | NZHistory
- ^ The Commonwealth Division - NZ in the Korean War | NZHistory
- ^ The Anti-Vietnam War movement - NZ and the Vietnam War | NZHistory
- ^ The impact of ANZUS - NZ and the Vietnam War | NZHistory
- ^ New Zealand's response - NZ and the Vietnam War | NZHistory
- ^ The ANZAC Battalion - NZ and the Vietnam War | NZHistory
- ^ VietnamWar.com:Vietnam War - President Richard Nixon's Role in the Vietnam War
- ^ Scoop: Further NZ assistance in wake of Hurricane Katrina
- ^ Beehive - New Zealand sends condolences to United States
- ^ Why the United States Should Negotiate a Trade Agreement with New Zealand
- ^ North America - Case for FTA between NZ/USA - NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- ^ http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2008/February/asset_upload_file806_14451.pdf
- ^ Recent Events
- ^ Caucus Membership
- ^ a b Towards a Free Trade Agreement - NZ US Council
- ^ Phoenix to take on Galaxy of stars (September 18, 2007).
- ^ Saturday night game for Beckham (September 24, 2007).
- ^ Beckham puts on winning show in Welly (December 2, 2007).
- ^ Beckham played with broken rib (December 7, 2007).
- ^ Campbell stands on top of golfing world - 20 Jun 2005 - NZ Herald: New Zealand and International Sports News
- ^ TV3 > Video - Browse All > Sunrise Video > Motorsport: Dixon first Kiwi to win Indy 500
- ^ Clinton jokes about 'former' PM Clark - 22 Apr 2008 - NZ Herald: New Zealand National news
- ^ Row erupts over NZ's place in US spy network - 31 Jan 2006 - Foreign policy news - NZ Herald
- ^ AUSCANZUKUS Information Portal. auscannzukus.org.. Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
- ^ Information Assurance (IA) | Our Work | GCSB
- ^ Echelon: Exposing the Global Surveillance System
- ^ Organisation | About Us | GCSB
- ^ FBI — Cyber Working Group - Press Room - Headline Archives 03-18-08
- ^ TV3 > News > Science/Technology News > Story > NZ taking part in cyber terrorist exorcise
- ^ http://cryptome.org/cyberstorm.pdf
- ^ Geeks get personal in standards stoush - 22 Mar 2008 - Griffin's Tech Blog - NZ Herald Blog
- ^ FBI — Cyber Working Group - Press Room - Headline Archives 03-18-08
- ^ a b Homepage - Welcome - NZ US Council
- ^ Speeches and Articles - New Zealand and the United States - still crazy after all these years? - NZ US Council
- Australia-United States relations
- ^ "Government apology for Vietnam War veterans", New Zealand Herald, December 15, 2004.
- War and Society. New Zealand's history online.
- A History of the New Zealand Army, 1840 to 1990s. A History of the New Zealand Army, 1840 to 1990s.
- Australian & New Zealand Military History from 1788. Australian & New Zealand Military History from 1788.
- Afghanistan. New Zealand Defence Force: Deployments.
- ^ New Zealand Defence Force (February 1, 2006). "Goff positive about Afghanistan contribution". Press release.
- Iraq - UNMOVIC. New Zealand Army Overseas.
- New Zealand's search for security. New Zealands search for security.
- New Zealand's Foreign Relations and Military. thinkingnewzealand.com.
- Murdoch, Tony; Pam O'Connell, John Rosanowski (1986). New Zealand's Search For Security 1945–1985. New Zealand: Langman Paul, 3–12. ISBN 0582857333.
[edit] External links
- New Zealand Government Official Site
- United States Government Official Site
- United States - New Zealand Council The United States - New Zealand Council, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening United States-New Zealand relations through enhanced communications between the two nations.
- New Zealand Embassy in Washington Official Site
- United States of America Embassy in Wellington Official Site
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