The Asia New Zealand Foundation and the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam held their sixth Track II dialogue on 2 February in Wellington. Asia New Zealand Foundation's director of research Andrew Butcher outlines the discussion.
The dialogue took place in an auspicious anniversary year – forty years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Vietnam and New Zealand and ASEAN. Topics discussed included regional economic architecture, the bilateral relationship, great power relations and multilateralism.
In discussing regional economic architecture, attention was given to the various existing and proposed trade agreements criss-crossing the Asia Pacific region. Both New Zealand and Vietnam are parties to the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership negotiations. There are also ambitions within ASEAN to achieve its economic community by the end of 2015. On the distant horizon is the prospect of a free trade agreement of the Asia Pacific. All of these trade agreements have their challenges, complex issues and close deadlines for completing negotiations. Delegates agreed that a successful outcome would be agreements that are robust, inclusive, fair and comprehensive.
These trade agreements dovetail and, in some cases, cut across existing regional economic architecture. The various bodies, such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), APEC, the UN and the G20 reinforce, both positively and negatively, fault lines in the region. Given these challenges, the role, relevance, centrality and strength of ASEAN becomes very important. Overlaying these various existing regional trade and political structures are significant shifts in balances of power, economic volatility, territorial disputes, global challenges and complex bilateral relationships. Small and middle powers including New Zealand and Vietnam rely on actively participating in a range of multilateral institutions to play a constructive role globally, to ensure peace and stability in the region, adherence to international rules and norms, and to advance economic growth.
Bilateral trade between the two countries is also growing. There was extensive and productive discussion about potential areas for further growth, collaboration and mutual understanding – notably on strengthening connectivity, people-to-people links, training and education, and capability building.
New Zealand participants in the dialogue included academic experts from the universities of Otago, Massey and Victoria, officials and businesspeople. The closing dinner of the dialogue was hosted by the Foundation's deputy chairman, and former Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Murdoch, where the delegations were also joined by the Vietnamese Ambassador to New Zealand. During their visit, the Vietnamese delegates also met privately with officials from New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and members of the Vietnamese community in Wellington.
This dialogue has significant value for New Zealand as it allows for an annual stocktake at a Track II level of evolving opinion on internal group dynamics and relations with neighbours in ASEAN and Southeast Asia more broadly.
Both sides agreed to continue the dialogues and the next will be held in Hanoi in 2016.
Source: http://asianz.org.nz
Keywords: Vietnam, New Zealand, regional economic, bilateral relationship.
