July 12, 2025 • 12 mins
With rising global tensions, market volatility, and an unpredictable international landscape, having a strong and credible foreign voice is becoming more important than ever for New Zealand.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters travelled to Malaysia for a summit with his South East Asian counterparts, where he worked towards a comprehensive strategic partnership by October.
But what does that actually mean for us? What would that relationship deliver in real terms? How are we positioning ourselves in an increasingly contested region?
He’s just come back from his trip — Winston Peters chats to Tim Beveridge.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News talks'b
Foltics Central.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
So Yes, with rising global tensions, we've got market volatility,
unpredictable international landscape. Having a strong and credible foreign voices
becoming more important than ever for New Zealand and this
week we marked fifty years of diplomatic relations with the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It's Asian and to commemorate it,
(00:31):
Foreign Minister Winston Peter's traveled to Malaysia for a summit
with his Asian counterparts and where they discuss regional flack
flash points in the South China Sea, the crisis and
me and my tensions in the Middleast, lots of things,
and Winston Peter says that New Zealand is working towards
a comprehensive strategic partnership with Southeast East Asia by October,
aim to reinforce our standing as a reliable and valuable
(00:53):
regional partner.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
But what does it mean for us? What is it
going to deliver in real terms?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Anyways, Just back from his trip and Foreign Minister Winston
Peters joins me, Now, good afternoon.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Good afternoon, how was your trip.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Exhausting, it's the certain way to describe it. Well, we
had to do that meeting, Sieves of meeting Suffer Douthar,
and then we had the East Asia Foreign Ministers Meeting,
which was something I attended edit for Norval in two
or five. And so here we are twenty years later
at the twenty anniversary. So it was very very comprehensive.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Any familiar faces from twenty years ago.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Not many?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
No, So what was your top priority on this trip?
Speaker 4 (01:40):
Oh? Look, it's really what the Prime Minister of Malaysia
said when he talked about forging habits of collaboration. We've
got to work together and ensure that by dialogue and
diplomacy we make progress, because the outcome of not doing
that is a failure, and that's dealing with the devastation
(02:00):
and destruction of war. This is primarily the key objective
to get on. We we've got differences, express them, see
if we can resolve them.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
So I've got a couple of things noted here, trade
versus security. I'm gathering from what you've said that really
the prime priority is security.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Is that it.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Well, they're both because you know, without the security we
can't have trade. We're seeing that in the you know,
the Red Sea, at the mark where passages of transportation
and cargo going up the cost because of the breakdown
of peaceful passage. All those things that have an effect
(02:40):
on this country miles and miles of course the other
side of the world, these things still have an effect
on New Zealand, so we try and do our best
to help it get on top of them.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
What does New Zealand bring to the table at these
summits and meetings.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Well, we bring the table the fact that we're an
independent country with a long stanning belief in democracy, one
of the only nine countries who can make that claim
all these years since eighteen fifty four. We also have
a long trade record of being reliable and being a
country that comes to the table with no hidden agenda.
(03:14):
We speak of our mind. We speak frankly and strange enough,
that is valued.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
What are the.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Shared interests that we have with Southeast Asia? And I
guess what do we want from them? And what do
they want from us?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Well, our requirements and ritual expanded trade opportunities, improved the
exonomies of our people and the freedoms of our people,
all those fundamental things that you can write in five
great aspirations are in the RCR relationship, as they are
with all our relationships sotually going long term.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
What was the top issue that really shine out? Was
it issues around South China Sea securities? What was the
thing that really everyone was on the same well as
close to being on the same page as possible.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Well, many issues were raised, you know there to do
do a security trade cooperation. You write about the South
China Sea, the Korean Peninsula, the utilization of North Korea,
as well as events in Ukraine and the Middle East.
These were all on the agenda.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
When it excuse me, when it comes to our foreign policies,
do under your under your ministership? I guess if I
could look for a better word, are we, as New
Zealand generally sail a pretty consistent line or are some
changes in our approach to things that you have been
(04:41):
focused on bringing in especially with these relationships.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Look, it's largely been a consistent line. We have tried
to when we look off shore, look as one country
devoid of politics because it's in our national interests to
ensure that we speak as one people got to member
as foreign ministers and even government Foreignessers come and go,
(05:07):
governments come and go, but people, people, people relationships are
essentially what you're trying to ensure is enduring because that
will stand the test of time. And that's why so
many times we take other political parties offshore with us
when we're going about our foreign affairs engagement.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
So what do you want news? What would you like
New Zealanders to know or understand? Because sometimes when it
comes to foreign affairs, there's a lot for people.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
To get their heads around.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
What would you want listeners today to take from your
trip about its importance and significance.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Well, we're not going there for the hotels, or for
the food, or for everything else. And these are hard
driving and very difficult journeys. We never see anything but
the inside of the meeting rooms. It is not some
lolly scramble, so to speak. It's during the hard yards.
And I understand how these illness feel. They look at
a country in trouble e amount of times and wonder
(06:00):
why we're not spending all our efforts back home here
in His Zealand. The trouble with that the years we
are a trading nation. We have been since eighteen eighty two,
when the first export of frozen meat went from New
Zealand and we've been dependent more than most countries on trade.
So we've got to get off shore and sell ourselves
as hard as we can. And the more successfully are,
(06:23):
the more chance we have of lifting our economic performance
and the improvement of New Zealand's lives back home. It's
not that simple. It's hard work, but it's critical work
and the idea of the week and somehow pull up
carpet up over our heads and are shrouded by ourselves
in Deep South Pacific, Southwest Pacific and survive is ridiculous.
(06:45):
We've got to work really hard to sell these zealand
improve our exports, and in doing so back home, we'll
left our economic outcomes for these illness everywhere.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Is that something we are battling more and more because
we do get those insular voices who just want us
to focus on Look, we need more nurses, we need
more of this, we need more that.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Why are we doing that?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Is this a constant and frustrating battle for you to
emphasize the importance of these relationships.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Well, it is frustrating when you sometimes people believe that
these are trade offs. They're not. We can only afford
better myths and back home in a nursing and back
home hospitals, better schools, better infrastructure. If we've got the
wherewithore call money to pay for it. And that's why
exports is everything for us.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
How much of a tightrope do we have to walk
when it comes to issues like the South China Sea
and China and sgugression? Of course, you know the headline
of the Cook Islands is probably only another few days
away with the problems.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Who got there?
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Well, it's always a type rob as you say, like
walking on glass. But our job was to do that
and do it successfully. And you know when you're talking
to people who would disagree and say, look, we would
disagree on this side, tell you what our point of
views and we hear you at but let's see both
sides of the story. That's the key to it.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
As do we have a specific role to players in
New Zealand when we attend these summits because we're not
a global superpower and are we so? Are we looked
to as because of our our perhaps our we're not
a large country, but we carry a bit of a
pack with our rhetoric.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Well, I hope it's not rhetoric. I hope it's reality truth,
and that we're selling here for the reality is looking
around and people have the other views, but we do
have we do revoke a rudging respect for our continual
belief and fundamental principles, the rule of law, the rule
(08:42):
of international engagement, rather than as church of one's port.
It's a better George Jaw than war war war. Nothing's
changed now, I like.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I know you have said frequently that you don't generally
like to comment on on poles, but you have had
quite a good one with the Curier poll lately, which
has bumped you New Zealand. First up, you're you're sitting
pretty well in the preferred prime minister rankings.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Did you have a reaction, did you pay attention? Did
you notice the poll? Did you have a reaction to it?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
No?
Speaker 4 (09:11):
As you know, I don't ever comment on poles. Was
a political science graduates before I went to law. I've
studied the polls all my career, and I've also the
terrible uncertainty and inequacy of them in MW zeum because
of the variation between the posters. This complaint that I've
had for many, many years, because in countries elsewhere that
(09:35):
when the polls are three percent or more part they
sometimes say, look, we've got to discuss what's going wrong
with our polling. Sometimes here there been ten fourteen percent
apart and there's been no discussion. So I've never commented
on polls. And you know our job is to how
shall I said, our jobs that create the poll, create
the poll, not interpret them.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Well, a lot of the people have been saying in
response to them anyway, that some of the comment has
been that they really think that news on were first
sort of heading at straps. You know, you guys are
able to cut to the quicksh to the quick quickly,
should I say with issues? You must be pretty happy
with the way you guys are performing.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Well, I'm very proud of our team. It's a new,
young team. They're seriously focused. I mean, we're not into
multi val words salad cycher. You see in some with
they have all this high floating conversation when it's you
don't know what they've said. We're sticking to the hard
graft in your areas of concern for those hundreds and
(10:31):
hundreds of the millions act now of ALLDO New Zealanders
I just want to figure and we're going to stay
on track with them.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Yeah, he look, can I just finish with this?
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Is this is not a political question at all, but
I asked you at the start how was your trip?
And you said it was exhausting for someone who travels
so much. Do you have a sort of secret for
managing the grueling schedule with all these different time changes?
And what's what's your secret?
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Well, we've always tried to travel at night, so that
we go all night to some other country, get your
sleep and get off the end of the hotel, change
of gear and straight and the meetings. The worst trips
we have to travel all day then get to some
other country, sleeping time and sit and wait. That's number one.
We've tried to do that. The second thing is we're
very very focused on our diet, just diets everything and
(11:19):
drink lots of water. Just trying to get back into
your normal schedule as fast as you can think normal,
because when you get back firm and you won't have
jet leg. If you have got on top of it,
you won't have the jet leg experience as so many
people suffer from.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Excellent Winston Peters, I really appreciate your time to stat
this afternoon, Thanks so much, Thank you, cheer. That is
when St Peter's I just had to ask him that
because the guy, look, he's he's not a teenager any longer,
you know, and he's got a grueling schedule and you
always think, gosh, how on earth does he cover it?
Because it must be absolutely knackering. So I really appreciate
(11:53):
Whinston Peter's time time just now. You can text your
feedback anytime on eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. But
right right now, we're going to take a break and
we'll be back with Lieutenant Colonel Tim to a teeny.
We're going to be having a chat about this massive
exercise that kicks off today in Australia with thousands and
thousands of soldiers from nineteen different nations taking part, and
we'll diger into that in just a moment. It's twenty
(12:14):
two past three.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to News
Talk sed Be weekends from three pm, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News talks'b
Foltics Central.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
So Yes, with rising global tensions, we've got market volatility,
unpredictable international landscape. Having a strong and credible foreign voices
becoming more important than ever for New Zealand and this
week we marked fifty years of diplomatic relations with the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It's Asian and to commemorate it,
(00:31):
Foreign Minister Winston Peter's traveled to Malaysia for a summit
with his Asian counterparts and where they discuss regional flack
flash points in the South China Sea, the crisis and
me and my tensions in the Middleast, lots of things,
and Winston Peter says that New Zealand is working towards
a comprehensive strategic partnership with Southeast East Asia by October,
aim to reinforce our standing as a reliable and valuable
(00:53):
regional partner.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
But what does it mean for us? What is it
going to deliver in real terms?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Anyways, Just back from his trip and Foreign Minister Winston
Peters joins me, Now, good afternoon.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Good afternoon, how was your trip.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Exhausting, it's the certain way to describe it. Well, we
had to do that meeting, Sieves of meeting Suffer Douthar,
and then we had the East Asia Foreign Ministers Meeting,
which was something I attended edit for Norval in two
or five. And so here we are twenty years later
at the twenty anniversary. So it was very very comprehensive.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Any familiar faces from twenty years ago.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
Not many?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
No, So what was your top priority on this trip?
Speaker 4 (01:40):
Oh? Look, it's really what the Prime Minister of Malaysia
said when he talked about forging habits of collaboration. We've
got to work together and ensure that by dialogue and
diplomacy we make progress, because the outcome of not doing
that is a failure, and that's dealing with the devastation
(02:00):
and destruction of war. This is primarily the key objective
to get on. We we've got differences, express them, see
if we can resolve them.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
So I've got a couple of things noted here, trade
versus security. I'm gathering from what you've said that really
the prime priority is security.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Is that it.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Well, they're both because you know, without the security we
can't have trade. We're seeing that in the you know,
the Red Sea, at the mark where passages of transportation
and cargo going up the cost because of the breakdown
of peaceful passage. All those things that have an effect
(02:40):
on this country miles and miles of course the other
side of the world, these things still have an effect
on New Zealand, so we try and do our best
to help it get on top of them.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
What does New Zealand bring to the table at these
summits and meetings.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
Well, we bring the table the fact that we're an
independent country with a long stanning belief in democracy, one
of the only nine countries who can make that claim
all these years since eighteen fifty four. We also have
a long trade record of being reliable and being a
country that comes to the table with no hidden agenda.
(03:14):
We speak of our mind. We speak frankly and strange enough,
that is valued.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
What are the.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Shared interests that we have with Southeast Asia? And I
guess what do we want from them? And what do
they want from us?
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Well, our requirements and ritual expanded trade opportunities, improved the
exonomies of our people and the freedoms of our people,
all those fundamental things that you can write in five
great aspirations are in the RCR relationship, as they are
with all our relationships sotually going long term.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
What was the top issue that really shine out? Was
it issues around South China Sea securities? What was the
thing that really everyone was on the same well as
close to being on the same page as possible.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Well, many issues were raised, you know there to do
do a security trade cooperation. You write about the South
China Sea, the Korean Peninsula, the utilization of North Korea,
as well as events in Ukraine and the Middle East.
These were all on the agenda.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
When it excuse me, when it comes to our foreign policies,
do under your under your ministership? I guess if I
could look for a better word, are we, as New
Zealand generally sail a pretty consistent line or are some
changes in our approach to things that you have been
(04:41):
focused on bringing in especially with these relationships.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
Look, it's largely been a consistent line. We have tried
to when we look off shore, look as one country
devoid of politics because it's in our national interests to
ensure that we speak as one people got to member
as foreign ministers and even government Foreignessers come and go,
(05:07):
governments come and go, but people, people, people relationships are
essentially what you're trying to ensure is enduring because that
will stand the test of time. And that's why so
many times we take other political parties offshore with us
when we're going about our foreign affairs engagement.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
So what do you want news? What would you like
New Zealanders to know or understand? Because sometimes when it
comes to foreign affairs, there's a lot for people.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
To get their heads around.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
What would you want listeners today to take from your
trip about its importance and significance.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Well, we're not going there for the hotels, or for
the food, or for everything else. And these are hard
driving and very difficult journeys. We never see anything but
the inside of the meeting rooms. It is not some
lolly scramble, so to speak. It's during the hard yards.
And I understand how these illness feel. They look at
a country in trouble e amount of times and wonder
(06:00):
why we're not spending all our efforts back home here
in His Zealand. The trouble with that the years we
are a trading nation. We have been since eighteen eighty two,
when the first export of frozen meat went from New
Zealand and we've been dependent more than most countries on trade.
So we've got to get off shore and sell ourselves
as hard as we can. And the more successfully are,
(06:23):
the more chance we have of lifting our economic performance
and the improvement of New Zealand's lives back home. It's
not that simple. It's hard work, but it's critical work
and the idea of the week and somehow pull up
carpet up over our heads and are shrouded by ourselves
in Deep South Pacific, Southwest Pacific and survive is ridiculous.
(06:45):
We've got to work really hard to sell these zealand
improve our exports, and in doing so back home, we'll
left our economic outcomes for these illness everywhere.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Is that something we are battling more and more because
we do get those insular voices who just want us
to focus on Look, we need more nurses, we need
more of this, we need more that.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
Why are we doing that?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Is this a constant and frustrating battle for you to
emphasize the importance of these relationships.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
Well, it is frustrating when you sometimes people believe that
these are trade offs. They're not. We can only afford
better myths and back home in a nursing and back
home hospitals, better schools, better infrastructure. If we've got the
wherewithore call money to pay for it. And that's why
exports is everything for us.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
How much of a tightrope do we have to walk
when it comes to issues like the South China Sea
and China and sgugression? Of course, you know the headline
of the Cook Islands is probably only another few days
away with the problems.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Who got there?
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Well, it's always a type rob as you say, like
walking on glass. But our job was to do that
and do it successfully. And you know when you're talking
to people who would disagree and say, look, we would
disagree on this side, tell you what our point of
views and we hear you at but let's see both
sides of the story. That's the key to it.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
As do we have a specific role to players in
New Zealand when we attend these summits because we're not
a global superpower and are we so? Are we looked
to as because of our our perhaps our we're not
a large country, but we carry a bit of a
pack with our rhetoric.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Well, I hope it's not rhetoric. I hope it's reality truth,
and that we're selling here for the reality is looking
around and people have the other views, but we do
have we do revoke a rudging respect for our continual
belief and fundamental principles, the rule of law, the rule
(08:42):
of international engagement, rather than as church of one's port.
It's a better George Jaw than war war war. Nothing's
changed now, I like.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I know you have said frequently that you don't generally
like to comment on on poles, but you have had
quite a good one with the Curier poll lately, which
has bumped you New Zealand. First up, you're you're sitting
pretty well in the preferred prime minister rankings.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Did you have a reaction, did you pay attention? Did
you notice the poll? Did you have a reaction to it?
Speaker 1 (09:10):
No?
Speaker 4 (09:11):
As you know, I don't ever comment on poles. Was
a political science graduates before I went to law. I've
studied the polls all my career, and I've also the
terrible uncertainty and inequacy of them in MW zeum because
of the variation between the posters. This complaint that I've
had for many, many years, because in countries elsewhere that
(09:35):
when the polls are three percent or more part they
sometimes say, look, we've got to discuss what's going wrong
with our polling. Sometimes here there been ten fourteen percent
apart and there's been no discussion. So I've never commented
on polls. And you know our job is to how
shall I said, our jobs that create the poll, create
the poll, not interpret them.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Well, a lot of the people have been saying in
response to them anyway, that some of the comment has
been that they really think that news on were first
sort of heading at straps. You know, you guys are
able to cut to the quicksh to the quick quickly,
should I say with issues? You must be pretty happy
with the way you guys are performing.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Well, I'm very proud of our team. It's a new,
young team. They're seriously focused. I mean, we're not into
multi val words salad cycher. You see in some with
they have all this high floating conversation when it's you
don't know what they've said. We're sticking to the hard
graft in your areas of concern for those hundreds and
(10:31):
hundreds of the millions act now of ALLDO New Zealanders
I just want to figure and we're going to stay
on track with them.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Yeah, he look, can I just finish with this?
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Is this is not a political question at all, but
I asked you at the start how was your trip?
And you said it was exhausting for someone who travels
so much. Do you have a sort of secret for
managing the grueling schedule with all these different time changes?
And what's what's your secret?
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Well, we've always tried to travel at night, so that
we go all night to some other country, get your
sleep and get off the end of the hotel, change
of gear and straight and the meetings. The worst trips
we have to travel all day then get to some
other country, sleeping time and sit and wait. That's number one.
We've tried to do that. The second thing is we're
very very focused on our diet, just diets everything and
(11:19):
drink lots of water. Just trying to get back into
your normal schedule as fast as you can think normal,
because when you get back firm and you won't have
jet leg. If you have got on top of it,
you won't have the jet leg experience as so many
people suffer from.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Excellent Winston Peters, I really appreciate your time to stat
this afternoon, Thanks so much, Thank you, cheer. That is
when St Peter's I just had to ask him that
because the guy, look, he's he's not a teenager any longer,
you know, and he's got a grueling schedule and you
always think, gosh, how on earth does he cover it?
Because it must be absolutely knackering. So I really appreciate
(11:53):
Whinston Peter's time time just now. You can text your
feedback anytime on eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. But
right right now, we're going to take a break and
we'll be back with Lieutenant Colonel Tim to a teeny.
We're going to be having a chat about this massive
exercise that kicks off today in Australia with thousands and
thousands of soldiers from nineteen different nations taking part, and
we'll diger into that in just a moment. It's twenty
(12:14):
two past three.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to News
Talk sed Be weekends from three pm, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio.
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