Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is due to meet US Vice-President Mike Pence at the East Asia Summit. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is due to meet US Vice-President Mike Pence at the East Asia Summit. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Jacinda Ardern begins work in Singapore today to progress New Zealand's interests in Southeast Asia which will include meetings with two of the most important players at the East Asia Summit.
She is due to have lengthy discussion with US Vice-President Mike Pence tonight as his dinner companion at the leaders' gala dinner - at his request.
It will be Ardern's first substantial engagement, albeit in a social setting, with the Trump Administration since she became Prime Minister a year ago.
"I understand that the request was made," Ardern said. "It is a great opportunity for me to raise issues that New Zealand is focused on and interested in - of course aluminium and steel tariffs - but more generally issues of more concern within the region."
She said she was not expecting an invitation to the White House.
Most of the key events will be taking place tonight between 8pm and midnight, New Zealand time.
One of the most important side meetings will be the leaders of countries in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (Recep), which has been in the final stages of negotiation in Singapore in the past week.
Ardern will catch up there with Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, which will determine how successful the deal is.
US President Donald Trump will not be attending the East Summit or the Apec summit in Papua New Guinea at the weekend.
He has been in Europe at events to mark 100 years since World War I, but Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was also at the centennial commemorations, is planning to make it to Singapore.
Ardern won't say she is disappointed that Trump will not be there. But she made it clear she thought it would have been better if he had made it.
"These dialogues and these forms of multilateral engagement are incredibly important and so participation is important regardless of who is in power," she said.
"I do think it is important to have representation at the highest level from all members of Apec and those who are members of the East Asia Summit."
Scott Morrison took over from Malcolm Turnbull in August and while Ardern was the first leader to call him to congratulate him, they have not yet met. He was not at the two recent international excursions she was on, the Pacific Islands Forum and leaders' week at the UN General Assembly.
She said she was not expecting any advance on the issue of asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru, which dominated her discussions with Turnbull at her first summits a year ago.
"We've got a lot to catch up on. And of course it will be my first chance to talk about the direct New Zealand-Australia relationship, including the ongoing issues that we have been consistently raising around deportation, and citizenship.
"I imagine we will not run out of things to talk about."
Ardern also has bilateral meetings confirmed with the leaders of Thailand, Japan and Malaysia.
The East Asia Summit is a meeting hosted by the 10 countries belonging to Asean with the leaders of eight other countries, Australia and New Zealand, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
It is not yet clear whether Aung San Suu Kyi will stay on for the East Asia Summit after attending the Asean summit as the State Counsellor for Myanmar, effectively the head of Government.
Myanmar's treatment of Muslim Rohingyas from the Rakhine province is attracting increasing criticism from the international community. A recent UN special rapporteur described their treatment as having the hallmarks of genocide.
• Mike Pence – Deputising for Donald Trump and is set for some quality time with Jacinda Ardern.
Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Photo / AP
• Aung San Suu Kyi – Myanmar's head of Government may be a no-show given growing criticism over treatment of Muslim Rohingyas which a UN rapporteur said bears the hallmarks of genocide.
Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo / AP
• Vladimir Putin - The Russian President has switched with PM Medvedev this year, leaving Apec to him in PNG and attending the East Asia Summit himself. May get more attention without Trump there.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Photo / Getty Images
• Scott Morrison - The first international summit for new Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison who will meet Jacinda Ardern early on - but is firmly focused on China and Indonesia.
China's Premier Li Keqiang. Photo / AP
• Li Keqiang – He may be No 2 to President Xi, but the Premier of China as head of the economy he will be a big player at the EAS. Meeting Jacinda Ardern tonight.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Photo / AP
• Shinzo Abe – Japan's Prime Minister is growing in stature as a regional leader in trade and security issues and already has good relations with Ardern from last year. The pair meet again tomorrow.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Photo / AP
• Mahathir Mohamad - At the age of 93 and in his second go at PM, there will be no doubting his status as the elder statesman of the summit. On Ardern's dance card.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Photo / AP
• Moon Jae-in – South Korea's relatively new leader will have plenty report about progress with North Korea's nuclear programme.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo / AP
• Rodrigo Duterte - A big cheese last year when he hosted the EAS last year in the Philippines but less so this year. Ruthless, unpredictable.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Photo / AFP
• Joko Widodo – The president of Indonesia will turn his mind from dealing with a series of disasters to trade and security issues.
