Key reflects on first year of globetrotting diplomacy

John Key. Photo / Mark Mitchell

John Key returns home today after a nine-day trip to Thailand, Malaysia and Japan and tonight he will host a dinner for Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang.

The Prime Minister is committed to putting even greater emphasis than in the past on this country's relationship with Asia, where he says New Zealand has greater "relevance".

Helen Clark's Labour Government developed strong relationships with China in its nine years in power, negotiating a free trade deal with the people's republic.

But it also sought to expand NZ's reach into Europe - something Mr Key questioned.

"I think that was misplaced," he said in Tokyo in an interview reflecting on his own diplomacy in his first year in office.

"It's a personal view. I am not criticising them, but at the end of the day the growth in our markets and our opportunities are in Asia. We have the people links, we have often the history here and actually we are more relevant," he said.

"Are we really relevant in Spain or France or Poland? We are a small country that, sure, they enjoy engaging with, but at the end of the day we are easily forgotten when the visit is over. That is actually not the case in Asia. We are part of their world."

Mr Key had a punishing travel schedule in his first year and outside the fixed events such as Apec, he chose to visit China first because it was the single-biggest country (other than Australia) likely to have an impact on NZ.

He also chose to go the United Nations in the first year of his first term on the advice of Helen Clark. "She was absolutely right."

As Prime Minister he took on the job of "chief foreign minister" and since that first outing to Apec in Peru, a day after being sworn in, it had got "exponentially easier".

Mr Key said he had no preconceived notions as to what international diplomacy would involve when he took over the top job a year ago "except to know that it is fraught with danger if you get it wrong".

"The risk is that you are representing New Zealand abroad and you are in a position where you can seriously offend other countries if you get it wrong and damage New Zealand's international reputation that we have spent years working on."

Among his highlights, he said, was his "remarkable" week in New York when he met so many leaders and was able to listen to US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy and "to get a perspective of their world view".

Another was last month's East Asia Summit lunch where there had been "an absolutely fascinating discussion" between Korea, Japan and China over the Korean Peninsula. He was also pleased with the reception the new Japanese Government gave him.

* Around the world in 12 months

Nov 2008 - Lima, Peru for Apec; and London to meet Gordon Brown and the Queen.

January 2009 - Papua New Guinea for special Pacific Islands Forum meeting on Fiji; Solomon Islands to visit Regional Assistance Mission (Ramsi).

March - Sydney for annual Transtasman leaders meeting, switched from NZ to Australia because of the bushfires.

April - Thailand for East Asia Summit (abandoned because of unrest); China for official visit.

July - Tonga, Samoa, Niue, Cooks for regional Pacific visit.

August - Cairns, Australia, for annual Pacific Islands Forum meeting.

August - Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney for official visit including Partnership Forum and joint Cabinet.

September - New York for General Assembly of the United Nations.

October - Thailand for East Asia Summit and Malaysia to sign Free Trade Agreement; Japan for official visit including Partnership Forum.

Still ahead for 2009

This month - Singapore for Apec.

Trinidad and Tobago for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

On the cards for 2010

United States for official visit.

Vanuatu for Pacific Islands Forum.

Vietnam for East Asia Summit.

Japan for Apec.

India to advance trade talks.

South Korea for possible free trade agreement.

Hong Kong for possible free trade agreement.

Gulf states to advance trade.