# New Zealand PM meets Biden to discuss U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-05-31 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Ardern meets Biden at White House to discuss China, Pacific Meta Description: Highlights of their talks include countering China in Indo-Pacific, Economic Framework for Prosperity, gun control, and trade agreements. URL: https://financedigest.com/new-zealand-pm-meets-biden-to-discuss-u-s-indo-pacific-strategyhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-05-31t061428z1lynxmpei4u06artroptp4singapore-newzealand-1736815670267-compressed.jpg) By Jeff Mason and Lucy Craymer WASHINGTON/WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday at the White House, where their first face-to-face talks were expected to include Washington’s efforts to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region. The [meeting took on greater importance as New Zealand in recent](https://www.financedigest.com/the-recent-bank-of-england-meeting-the-biggest-rate-hike-recession-warning-and-the-fallout.html "The recent Bank of England meeting, the biggest rate hike, recession warning and the fallout") weeks has raised concerns about China’s presence in the region following news that Beijing had signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands. [Joining Ardern in the Oval Office](https://www.financedigest.com/peter-warrack-former-director-of-aml-fintech-advisory-and-compliance-officer-at-the-bank-of-montreal-joins-bitfinex-as-chief-compliance-officer-cco.html "Peter Warrack, Former Director of AML (Fintech Advisory) and Compliance Officer at the Bank of Montreal, joins Bitfinex as Chief Compliance Officer (CCO)"), Biden said Washington has no desire to dictate to the region but to partner with them. We have more work to do in those [Pacific Islands,”](https://www.financedigest.com/u-s-says-it-has-agreed-pacific-islands-partnership-offering-big-dollar-aid.html "U.S. says it has agreed Pacific Islands partnership, offering ‘big dollar’ aid") he said. [China has made a concerted push to increase its influence and the country’s foreign](https://www.financedigest.com/first-foreign-covid-vaccines-head-to-china-from-germany.html "First foreign COVID vaccines head to China from Germany") minister is currently in Tonga as part of a region-wide tour. New Zealand joined Biden’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), an economic bloc that excludes [China and was designed](https://www.financedigest.com/keysource-awarded-major-contract-to-design-nationwide-network-of-data-centres-throughout-china.html "KEYSOURCE AWARDED MAJOR CONTRACT TO DESIGN  NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF DATA CENTRES THROUGHOUT CHINA") to counter that country, during Biden’s first trip to Asia as president last week. Speaking to [reporters at the start of the White](https://www.financedigest.com/white-bullet-releases-ad-funded-piracy-report-for-world-intellectual-property-organisation-wipo.html "White Bullet releases Ad Funded Piracy Report for World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)") House meeting, Ardern said the pact “presents a significant opportunity to build economic resilience in our region. But New Zealand and several other countries in the region think the agreement does not go far enough, [asking Biden](https://www.financedigest.com/biden-unveils-800-million-in-new-ukraine-military-aid-to-ask-congress-for-more.html "Biden unveils 0 million in new Ukraine military aid, to ask Congress for more") to join trade pacts that could unlock U.S. [consumer markets](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-jpmorgan-goldman-bet-on-tech-to-crack-uk-consumer-market.html "Analysis: JPMorgan, Goldman bet on tech to crack UK consumer market"). Biden has been reluctant to do so because of domestic fears that such deals could [cost jobs](https://www.financedigest.com/factbox-global-banks-take-axe-to-jobs-as-cost-pressures-mount.html "Factbox-Global banks take axe to jobs as cost pressures mount"). At the White House, Ardern referenced the multicountry trans-Pacific trade deal that Washington withdrew from in 2017 under then-President Donald Trump, but which New Zealand has stuck with and [China hopes](https://www.financedigest.com/european-shares-rally-as-china-stimulus-lifts-recovery-hopes.html "European shares rally as China stimulus lifts recovery hopes") to join. The two [leaders were also expected](https://www.financedigest.com/what-is-expected-of-leaders-in-the-age-of-automation.html "What is expected of leaders in the age of automation?") to discuss their strategy for thwarting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as well as gun control in the aftermath of several U.S. mass shootings, including one in Uvalde, Texas, that left 21 children and teachers dead. After the Christchurch massacre in 2019, in which a gunman killed 51 Muslims, Ardern delivered a ban on semiautomatic firearms and other gun curbs, a stark contrast to the United States, where lawmakers and activists have struggled to address gun violence. Ardern offered her condolences on the recent shootings. Ardern said she expected to [meet with Vice President](https://www.financedigest.com/british-minister-to-meet-taiwan-president-drawing-chinas-anger.html "British minister to meet Taiwan president, drawing China’s anger") Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell. “It’s not about new initiatives,” she told reporters at a briefing before heading to the White House. “It is actually about that relationship.” Ardern has been in the United [States as part of a trade delegation promoting business](https://www.financedigest.com/seventy-three-percent-of-the-c-suite-state-that-increasing-visibility-into-network-and-application-performance-will-drive-business-innovation.html "Seventy-Three percent of the C-suite state that increasing visibility into network and application performance will drive business innovation ") with New Zealand. The two countries are close friends but the meeting with Biden had been uncertain after Ardern tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month, given strict White [House pandemic](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-house-prices-end-2022-on-a-weaker-note-after-pandemic-boom.html "UK house prices end 2022 on a weaker note after pandemic boom") protocols. Three members of Ardern’s delegation have now also [tested positive for COVID](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-not-planning-covid-testing-for-travellers-from-china.html "UK not planning COVID testing for travellers from China"). (Writing by Trevor Hunnicutt; Additional reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Jonathan Oatis) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---