Chinese Tiger Trouble
February 8, 2025
By NZB3
As the Trump Administration flexes in their hemisphere it seems that China is doing the same over here in ours.
The USA has been insisting on more power and influence over the Panama and even making designs on Greenland and Canada (check out great Jordan Peterson’s take on that.) The Colombian President announced that his presidential plane will be used to repatriate Colombian migrants deported from the US after initial refusal was turned around 180 degrees because of a few words from President Trump.
All very exciting for that part of the world but how are we doing?
Without wishing to be paranoid it seems that our regional “sleeping giant,” the Chinese Tiger, is making some expansionist moves worth remarking upon.
Firstly, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown is flying off on Monday (10/2/2025) to Beijing on Monday to sign the “Joint Action Plan for a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”. Ref. RNZ
Brown is supposed to be one of us, a New Zealander. Cook Islanders have New Zealand passports but Brown has lately been looking to break away and that includes minting his own passports. He was educated at Gisborne Boys’ High School and Massey University and that makes for deeper Kiwi roots than many of our carpet-bagging elected representatives. Ref. Wiki
Never mind domestic politics, such as restoring the title of Minister of Railways and ‘saving’ the Interislander ferry service. Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, has some growing issues to deal with. The Cook Islands appear to be slipping away and they’re not the only islands that China are coming for.
Winston has a storied history with the Cooks (it’s trendy to use the word ‘storied’ just now so I thought I’d try it one time.) Back in the 1990s his Winebox Inquiry was a massive, and massively expensive, circus that proved nothing. It revolved around money laundering in the Cooks and though nobody was caught it must made for a major deterrence to further Foreign Aid/Money Laundering for a while. Or, made it more expensive at the very least.
More recently there has been the Kiribati issue. Winston Peters says he was stood up for a meeting with Kiribati President Taneti Maamau. Our affronted Minister pointed out that “we” have put $100,000,000 through that little island so the least they could do is answer the door when he calls. It’s a bit like President Trump putting the hard word on NATO allies for paying their share. Peter’s Number Two, Shane Jones, also thought he was Trump at Waitangi this week. Jones talked about the $10,000,000 that the Waitangi Trust get and that the mistreatment of himself and fellow political guests might jepordise that. Those NZ First guys are throwing their weight around a bit. Ref. RNZ
When Jacinda Ardern’s dad was overseeing Tokelau, during her Prime Ministership of New Zealand, there was the unaccounted vanishing of $10,000,000 too. Ref. Tokelau Laundry Service, NZB3
Finally, and what got me writing today, China has just dropped $30,000 with the promise of more on Samoa. The little fishing village around the wreck of our HMNZ Manawanui are getting a payday after our Diversity Hire Navy Commander Yvonne Gray crashed our $100 million ship into their rock.
“Communities in Safata district, Samoa, whose livelihoods were impacted by maritime closures due to the sinking of the New Zealand navy vessel HMNZ Manawanui last year, have received a WST$50,000 (around NZ$30,000) donation from the Chinese embassy in Apia.
Since the disaster in October 2024, villagers have not been allowed to fish in the area where the Manawanui sank, just off which is just off the coast of Tafitoala village.
Community leaders met with Chinese embassy staff on Wednesday this week to seek livelihood assistance from Beijing.
A spokesperson for the district Tuia Pu’a Leota said the Chinese embassy did not wait long and helped them within a day.
“We express great gratitude for what they have done for us,” he said.
“We met with them in Vaie’e on Wednesday, and yesterday (Thursday) I got a call at 5pm to meet with them.
“This is not the end of their assistance; this is only the beginning. We discussed other projects and ways they can help us through the process.” – Samoan communities affected by Manawanui disaster receive $30,000 donation from China, RNZ
As the USA expand in their sphere it seems like China is escalating the old string-of-pearls tactic down our way. This Island politics stuff is starting to demand a bit of attention!
This NZB3 blog you’re reading is a revival of one I created 20 years ago and one of those early posts said this: “Even if we do end up going to war within 20 years I think we should keep trading in the mean time. While their might is nourished by us, so is ours by them.” Ref. The Chinese, NZB3 (5 June, 2006)
Since it is 20 years since I made a 20-year prediction it’s right to revisit it. My mind has not changed; I think we get far more out of China than China has gotten out of us. I’m still hard core Free Trade. And Trevor Loudon is still as distrustful toward the Chinese as ever. Last I knew he had gone to the USA to make a career out of it.
Our 20 years appear to be coming to a close now. Things are heating up and it was time to take stock of developments. New Zealand is either going to start extending itself into that old Vogel/Seddon dream of Pacific Empire. Or, China’s reach is going to be coming our way as Trev’ feared. Our media and politicians are falling over themselves to support old man Winston because that’s the united front rubbish that they do when it comes to foreign affairs. Is he really up to it? And is he all we’ve got as a spearhead to a growing crisis?
I don’t know how much Winston (80yo) has left in the tank but we’d better keep an eye on things. Careful Mr. Magoo doesn’t feed us to the Tiger.
Ref. Gary’s Tiger, NZB3 (2006)
Ref. Melbourne Expat Comments on Chinese Port Deal, New Zeal (2006,) Wayback Machine
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