'This cannot be all about China': PM Jacinda Ardern's message ahead of Oval Office meeting with US President Joe Biden

Ahead of her White House meeting with US President Joe Biden tomorrow morning, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she does not expect the meeting to deliver any new concrete measures, but her first face-to-face with Biden is important for the relationship between the two countries.

And she said one of her messages would be that the US needed to develop its own "consistent" relationships in the Pacific region rather than make its interest in the region "all about China".

Ardern is in DC ahead of that meeting, which will take place in the Oval Office at about 3am NZ Time tomorrow.

Some Covid-19 cases in the PM's delegation have meant all those involved in the meeting, including media, had to have PCR tests today and a second Covid-19 test ahead of the meeting tomorrow.

Ardern told media early this morning she would meet with Vice President Kamala Harris before that meeting. Her Biden meeting will also include US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Kurt Campbell, Biden's Indo-Pacific Coordinator.

The meeting takes place as China woos Pacific nations, seeking greater economic and security ties with them. Thus far, its efforts to secure a region-wide trade and security agreement with 10 Pacific nations have not succeeded but some countries, including Samoa and Niue, have looked at one on one agreements around infrastructure projects and the like.

Ardern urged the US to be more consistent in its approach to the Pacific region – and raised the perception that its current interest was mainly to try to block China.

"What is important is that all of our relationships in the Pacific need to be built in their own right, not because another country is present. This cannot be all about China."

Ardern said China had been involved in the Pacific for a long time now, building relations with the countries there and its recent moves were an extension of that.

"China in the Pacific is not new. Yes, they are continuing to work on their relationships, but so should all of us. What is happening now is not new. Perhaps the pace and engagement has picked up, but it is not new.

"What we are encouraging is that the United State relationships, that they grow, and they equally continue to build those consistent relationships in our region because there is no doubt the pace of engagement has increased."

Ardern rejected suggestions New Zealand had not been active enough in the Pacific and criticism about Nanaia Mahuta's lack of travel to the region, saying Covid-19 restrictions had impacted the ability to travel but it had maintained close contact.

Earlier this week Blinken delivered a speech on the US relationship with China in which he described China as the greatest long-term threat to the international rules-based order.

Personal Relationship with Biden v former US President Donald Trump:

Ardern has spoken to Biden twice since he was elected President but said "but there's nothing quite like meeting face to face".

"Now we have the opportunity to do it in his space, at the White House."

Asked if she felt relationship-building was easier with Biden than his predecessor Donald Trump, Ardern – who was once dubbed the "anti-Trump" - said it was obviously easier when leaders shared the same values.

She said she had spoken to Trump several times. "It's my job, regardless of who is in power, to make sure those relationships … are strong. But of course it goes without saying that when you have shared values it does ease the path for that relationship.

"It would be obvious to people that when you have those shared agendas it does help the relationship. But my job is to represent New Zealand."

On Biden she said personal relationships at a leadership level were important. "But that very first call where we immediately discussed his connection to the region through his family, his visit to New Zealand, already it was at a level we were building connections."

"Tomorrow is not about announceables, it's not about new initiatives. It's actually about that relationship but I already consider it to be a good one."

The two earlier conversations were a phone call in November 2020 after Biden was elected and a call in July 2021 ahead of New Zealand hosting a virtual Apec.

Ardern said there were a number of issues on the agenda, including the war in Ukraine and the US economic engagement in the Pacific.

She said the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework was one example of that, but it was in its early stages and New Zealand would advocate for trade barriers in the United States to be lifted as part of that if the US would not join the CPTPP trade pact.

It was likely gun reforms would also be discussed with Harris and Biden. After the Texas shooting, Harris has called for Congress to move quickly to ban military assault rifles and move on background checks for firearms holders.

Ardern said she would speak of New Zealand's experience – which included banning military style firearms within weeks of the Christchurch mosque attacks and putting in place a gun buy-back scheme to help with that process.

Ardern also expected to talk about space and cybersecurity with Harris – she said New Zealand was the fourth biggest space country by launch numbers.