Fearing China's militarisation of Pacific, NZ MPs set up anti-China group, open door to Taiwan

Simon O'Connor is one of two MPs who is part of Ipac's Indo-Pacific Forum Photo / Mark Mitchel

An international alliance of China-sceptic lawmakers, including two New Zealand MPs, has set up a local, Indo-Pacific chapter to focus on the increasing militarisation in the Pacific.

The group is keen to cooperate more with lawmakers from other parts of the region, including Taiwan, which mainland China claims as its own. The group met for the first time recently and has warned recent sabre rattling over Taiwan set a worrying precedent for the Pacific.

Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, or Ipac, is an organisation of lawmakers from legislatures across the democratic world that regularly speak out about injustices perpetrated by the Chinese state against its own citizens, and the threat China poses to other countries in the region.

Ipac members from Australia, India, Japan and New Zealand launched a local, Indo-Pacific forum which will "enhance co-ordination" in response to "China's growing influence in the region, such as the recent security pact signed between the PRC (People's Republic of China) government and the Solomon Islands," a statement said.

The group's New Zealand members are National's Simon O'Connor, and Labour's Ingrid Leary, who replaced Louisa Wall on the form after she left Parliament earlier this year.

Ipac's Indo-Pacific forum currently meets over Zoom, rather than in person.

A statement published after the first meeting raised concerns like the recent security agreement concluded with Solomon Islands, the militarisation of the Pacific, and the "regular military threats made against Taiwan" which set a "worrying precedent for [China's] role in the Pacific Islands.

The group said the new Ipac Indo-Pacific Forum "will be the first inter-parliamentary forum of its kind specifically formed to address challenges posed by the intensifying dynamics in the region".

The statements said that members hoped to welcome lawmakers from "South Korea, Taiwan, the Pacific Islands and other democratic partners in the region, as well as legislators from the US, UK and Europe" to future meetings.

O'Connor described the new local chapter as an "opportunity to strengthen existing bonds between legislators and also create new relationships.

"While we are representing different countries, many of our issues are the same including concerns around an expansionary PRC.

"By talking together and engaging experts in the field, we are sharing important information and ensuring we cooperate together for the benefit of our Indo-Pacific region," he said.

Leary said the fact that several MPs from Pacific Countries were trying to join Ipac showed "the seriousness in which they are taking the changing situation in the Pacific.

"We welcome their voices as being critically important to informing the alliance of their perspectives and insights, as well as how they wish other nation states respond to the intensifying dynamics in their region," she said.