Sunday 7 August 2022 06:22 AM New Zealand PM John Key sucks up to China trends now
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Former New Zealand prime minister John Key has urged the government to stay close to China to have any chance at influencing the superpower's behaviour.
Mr Key preached engagement with Beijing in a long interview to TVNZ's Q+A program on Sunday, a rarity since standing down in 2016 after eight years in office.
He lamented US-China relations had 'deteriorated considerably' since his time in office, and dismissed Australia's tough talking approach to China under Scott Morrison as counterproductive.
Mr Key also lashed US House speaker Nancy Pelosi over her visit to Taiwan this week, suggesting it was selfish and high-risk.
'It was reckless, if you want to be kind. It was provocative and it was actually dangerous,' he said.
Former New Zealand prime minister John Key has urged the government to stay close to China to have any chance at influencing the superpower's behaviour (pictured with wife Bronagh)
'Everyone knows that the third-most important elected official in the United States turning up on Taiwanese territory, that is poking the bear.'
Amid growing tensions between China and the US over Taiwan, Mr Key said he wanted 'everyone to take a calm, deep breath'.
'Literally tens, hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders' jobs and incomes rest on the fact that our largest trading partner is China,' he said.
'We sell a lot of goods there. There's a lot of investment there. There's a lot of trade.
'To have that potentially disrupted - let's be blunt - in a very fragile
