JAKARTA - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday China had become "more assertive and more willing to challenge international rules and norms", urging the use of diplomacy and economic ties to build ties in the Indo-Pacific region.
In his address to the NATO summit in Madrid, PM Ardern also condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, highlighted the importance of international rules and warned against a new arms race.
"We must stand firm on a rules-based order, call for diplomatic engagement and speak out against human rights abuses, every time when and where we see them," PM Ardern said.
New Zealand is not a member of NATO, but is a partner of the Western defense alliance and occasionally New Zealand forces have supported NATO-led operations. In recent months, Ukraine has contributed to the NATO Trust Fund for operations in Ukraine.
At the same time PM Ardern said the resilience of the Indo-Pacific region should be strengthened through economic relations and architecture rather than militarization.
New Zealand has strengthened its tone recently on Beijing's growing security and presence in the South Pacific, in part because of the signing of a security pact between China and the Solomon Islands.
Ukraine also took a firm stand against the invasion of Ukraine, imposed sanctions and sent defense support to Europe.
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