Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced a review of aid to Kiribati following the abrupt cancellation of meetings by Kiribati’s President and Foreign Minister.
The review will determine if funding or ongoing projects will be affected, though Kiribati remains eligible for the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme and Pacific Access Category for now.
Peters had planned to visit Kiribati for the first time in five years as part of New Zealand’s Pacific outreach strategy, but the cancelled meeting has strained diplomatic relations.
New Zealand, which invested $102 million in aid to Kiribati from 2021 to 2024, cited difficulties in aligning development priorities without open political dialogue, especially amidst Kiribati’s growing ties with China.
Kiribati will now have the gap filled by the Chinese…and other Pacific Island Nations will soon follow suit, and then become BRIC Nation States.
NZ was once highly respected around the world we have gone from hero to zero with our woke ideology they are probably terrified we will send a navy ship there with a DEI crew.
Probably why they cancelled meetings. Didn’t want to catch the woke virus.