Updated June 8, 2020
New Zealand
The United States and New Zealand work together closely
opposition center-right National Party is led by Todd
in bilateral, regional, and global contexts to address
Muller. The next election is scheduled for September 2020.
common interests in the areas of defense, foreign affairs,
and trade. Bilateral and multilateral military-to-military
Figure 1. New Zealand in Brief
exercises involving the two countries, such as the 23 nation
RIMPAC naval exercise, have increased in number since
the signing of the Wellington Declaration of 2010 and the
Washington Declaration of 2012. These declarations
marked turning points in bilateral relations after differences
over nuclear policy in the 1980s prompted the United States
to suspend its alliance commitments to New Zealand (see
below). The renewed strength of the bilateral relationship
was also demonstrated by the November 2016 visit of the
USS Sampson, the first U.S. warship visit to New Zealand
in more than 30 years. This strengthening of the
relationship has been building since New Zealand’s
commitment of military forces to Afghanistan in 2003. In
the view of many observers, this return to close cooperation
puts to rest past differences over nuclear policy.
Background
New Zealand and the United States have common historical
roots as settler societies of the British Empire. New
Zealand, also known to New Zealanders as Aotearoa or “the
land of the long white cloud,” was first settled by the
Source: CIA World Factbook and the Economist Intel igence Unit.
Polynesian-Maori people around the tenth century. Dutch
navigator Abel Tasman discovered the western coast of
Ardern achieved high approval ratings as a result of her
New Zealand in 1642, but it was English Captain James
government’s effective handling of the coronavirus.
Cook who, over three expeditions in 1769, 1773, and 1777,
Ardern
lifted all coronavirus restrictions except border controls
circumnavigated and mapped the islands. The 1840 Treaty
after reporting zero active cases on June 7, 2020. Observers
of Waitangi, between the British Crown and indigenous
Maori Chiefs, serves as the basis for relations between the
expect that Labour will increase its seats in parliament
following the September 2020 election. June 2020
Maori and European communities. The British Monarch,
projections estimate that GDP growth will be -3.5% in 2020
Queen Elizabeth II, is the constitutional head of state of
and then increase to 1.7% growth in 2021.
New Zealand. Her representative, the Governor General,
acts on the advice of the New Zealand Prime Minister’s
Christchurch Massacre
Cabinet. New Zealand attained Dominion Status in 1907
and gained full political independence from Britain under
A 28-year-old Australian man, who has been described as a
white supremacist, attacked the Al Noor Mosque and
the 1947 Statute of Westminster Adoption Act. In 1893,
Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand, on
New Zealand became the first self-governing country to
grant all women the right to vote.
March 15, 2019. Fifty-one people were killed in the attacks.
Following the attacks, parliament passed legislation
Politics and Elections
outlawing military style semi-automatic weapons and
assault rifles.
New Zealand is a unicameral, mixed-member-proportional
(MMP), parliamentary democracy. MMP was introduced in
Defense and Foreign Policy
New Zealand in 1996. Under MMP, Members of
Parliament come from both single-member electorates and
In part because New Zealand is a small nation, officials
place much emphasis on multilateral processes and
from party lists leading to a parliament in which a party’s
institutions. They also place emphasis on regional economic
share of the seats roughly mirrors its share of the overall
vote. New Zealand does not have a state or provincial level
institutions, and Australia and the United States figure
prominently in New Zealand’s national security affairs.
of government. The current government is a coalition of the
New Zealand’s commitment of regular troops and other
Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, and
the New Zealand First Party, led by Winston Peters. This
assistance in support of the Provincial Reconstruction Team
in Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan, from 2003 to 2013
coalition has a confidence and supply agreement with the
demonstrated, according to some observers, New Zealand’s
Green Party and has been in power since October 2017. The
value as an apolitical, diplomatic, and military partner. New
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New Zealand
Zealand also demonstrated such support through its
relations between these two states. New Zealand and
deployment of military trainers in Iraq.
Australia hope to create a “Trans-Tasman Bubble” that
would allow their citizens to travel to each country without
New Zealand released a Strategic Defence Policy Statement
quarantine restrictions related to COVID-19.
in July 2018 that one report called “more bold and frank in
terms of the Government’s foreign policy position, and its
New Zealand has played a key role in promoting peace,
singling out of countries, than anything a New Zealand
stability, development, and the environment in the South
government has released in recent years.” The Policy
Pacific, including by promoting security in Timor-Leste,
Statement observes that “As Pacific island countries’
Bougainville, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. New
relationships with non-traditional partners continue to
Zealand is working with Australia and other nations in the
develop, traditional partners such as New Zealand and
South Pacific on the Pacific Agreement on Closer
Australia will be challenged to maintain influence.”
Economic Relations (PACER)–Plus, a free trade accord.
Specifically, the Policy Statement notes that “China’s more
New Zealand provides disaster assistance to the region and
confident assertion of its interests has at times raised
supports the Pacific Islands Forum, the region’s principal
tensions with neighboring states and with the United
multilateral organization. New Zealand has protested
States.” The statement drew objections from China.
Japan’s decision to resume whaling in the Southern Ocean,
and has set aside 15% of New Zealand’s Exclusive
Bilateral Relations with the United
Economic Zone for the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary.
States
The gradual return of close security cooperation between
In February 2018 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s
the United States and New Zealand since 2003 has helped
government announced a reset of New Zealand’s policy
forge a new security partnership between the two countries.
toward the Pacific that is driven in part by a view that “the
The two nations have fought together in many wars and
Pacific has become an increasingly contested strategic
conflicts and established the Australia-New Zealand-United
space, under which New Zealand has to work harder to
States (ANZUS) alliance in 1951. During the mid-1980s the
maintain our positive influence.” In discussing the Pacific
United States suspended its alliance commitments to New
reset, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston
Zealand as a result of differences over nuclear policy,
Peters called for a reenergized approach and stated, “There
stemming from New Zealand legislation that made it
has never been a time since 1945 when Australia and New
nuclear free and the United States’ policy of neither
Zealand need to work together more closely in the Pacific.”
confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons on
U.S. Navy ships.
Relations with China
Trade is at the core of New Zealand’s relationship with
The Wellington Declaration of 2010 was a key turning
China, its largest trading partner. New Zealand’s goods
point in United States-New Zealand relations. The
exports to China quadrupled since the signing of a bilateral
Wellington Declaration stated that “our shared democratic
Free Trade Agreement between the two countries in 2008.
values and common interests” will guide the two nations’
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited New Zealand in March
collective action, and through it the United States and New
2017 reportedly to discuss an FTA upgrade and the One
Zealand agreed to emphasize the importance of democracy,
Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, which is now known as
human rights, and the rule of law, rather than let differences
the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). On March 27, 2017,
over nuclear policy define the relationship. The agreement
New Zealand signed a memorandum of understanding with
pointed to the need to address regional and global
China on China’s OBOR initiative. In 2015, New Zealand
challenges including through enhanced dialogue on regional
became a founding member of the China-led Asia
security, practical cooperation in the Pacific, Foreign
Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
Ministers meetings, political-military discussions, and
cooperation on climate change, nuclear proliferation, and
Diplomatic relations between New Zealand and China have
international extremism. The 2012 Washington Declaration
become somewhat strained, in part due to rising concerns
on Defense Cooperation further opened the way for
about Chinese influence in New Zealand and its region.
enhanced strategic dialogue and defense cooperation. This
Prime Minister Ardern made her first official visit to China
positive momentum has been sustained by subsequent
in April 2019. In November 2018, New Zealand’s
administrations. In July 2018, New Zealand announced the
Government Communications Security Bureau stopped a
purchase of four Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
New Zealand telecommunications provider from using
Huawei equipment. In May 2020, Winston Peters expressed
Regional Relations
his view that Taiwan should be able to rejoin the World
New Zealand enjoys very close relations with Australia, its
Health Organization. China responded by warning that this
neighbor across the Tasman Sea. These trans-Tasman ties
position risked damaging relations. A key challenge for
are based in the two nations’ common origin as British
New Zealand is balancing concerns over China’s growing
colonies. These ties were strengthened as the two nations
influence with China’s role as New Zealand’s largest export
fought together in the Australian New Zealand Army Corp
destination.
(ANZAC) in places like Gallipoli in World War I. This
relationship evolved into what is known as the ANZAC
Bruce Vaughn, Specialist in Asian Affairs
spirit of close defense cooperation. The close economic,
people-to-people, and cultural ties, as well as a shared love
IF10389
of rugby, cricket, and other sport, further reinforce bilateral
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New Zealand
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10389 · VERSION 8 · UPDATED