NZ FM Winston Peters
Tusi Tala
NZ Foreign Minister Winston Peters has responded to remarks by Kiribati’s education minister, who claimed that President Taneti Maamau had a prior commitment that led to him missing a meeting with New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister.
Peters announced that the New Zealand government is reassessing its development aid program, which totals over NZ$100 million from 2021 to 2024, following the cancellation or postponement of three visits to Tarawa by Maamau’s administration in recent months.
Kiribati Education Minister Alexander Teabo stated that Maamau had to attend an important historical event on his home island of Onotoa, suggesting that the cancellation was initiated by New Zealand and that Maamau is being unfairly blamed.
However, Peters dismissed Teabo’s justification, noting that Maamau had set the dates of January 21 and 22 himself, questioning the validity of the “pre-book” claim.
Currently, Maamau is on a four-day official visit to Fiji, and his office has not issued any comments regarding the situation.
Observers of Pacific politics have criticized Peters’ immediate reaction to the diplomatic issue as a “geopolitically foolish move.” Labour leader Chris Hipkins encouraged a more constructive diplomatic approach with Kiribati, suggesting that New Zealand’s retaliatory stance will not resolve the underlying issues. Greens MP Ricardo Menéndez March emphasized that relations with Kiribati should be based on mutual respect and expressed disappointment regarding the developments.
Terence Wood, a fellow at the Australian National University’s Development Policy Centre, criticized Peters’ decision to withdraw aid, describing it as “terrible.” He speculated that Peters might be either overreacting or bluffing, stating that if concerns about Chinese influence in Kiribati are genuine, withdrawing aid would be counterproductive to maintaining influence.
While some regional analysts believe this diplomatic spat could push Kiribati closer to China, Wood noted that it’s uncertain whether Beijing is the root cause of the current tensions, suggesting it might be Kiribati’s attempt to assert its independence from Western donors.