By Kereama Wright
BEIJING: Aotearoa Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins has finally acknowledged the role of the Māori culture in the relationship with China.
In his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, the prime minister said he canvassed a range of issues such as the relationship between China in the US, the situation in Ukraine, and China’s role in the Pacific among other kaupapa.
However, he failed to highlight the unique relationship between te iwi Māori and China, and neither did he mention the Māori leaders who are a part of his delegation, accompanied by Te Matatini winners, Te Kapa Haka o Te Whānau-ā-Apanui.
Questioned about the matter, Hipkins said “It wasn’t discussed specifically, other than in more general terms”.
“I certainly spoke about the diversity in New Zealand, and that included our pride in our indigenous culture, but in terms of the Māori to China relationship it’s not something we spoke about.”
However, the script changed in his meeting with Chinese Premier, Li Qiang on Wednesday at the Great Hall of The People in Beijing.
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‘Traditional friendship'
The leaders greeted each other, shaking hands before entering the grand hall where they were honoured with a ceremonial guard of honour.
Li, who took over the role in March from Li Keqiang, said he appreciated Hipkins stressing the importance of the relationship between the two countries, and making a visit to China within six months of becoming prime minister.
"The people of our two countries have a traditional friendship," he said.
Li also spoke of the influence of Rewi Alley, a New Zealand-born writer and political activist who joined the Chinese Communist Party and set up the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives in the 1930s.
"Chinese people of my age are very familiar with the stories of Rewi Alley," Premier Li said. "I worked in Shanghai for five years and Shanghai has a memorial for Rewi Alley, the place where he lived for more than 10 years, and people of Shanghai are very familiar with him. He was an old friend of China together with revolutionaries of the old generation of China."
'Indigenous culture contribution’
In his opening remarks, Hipkins said the bilateral relationship was “wide-ranging”.
“It encompasses significant economic, people to people, cultural connections.”
“My large delegation is a reflection of the breadth, the diversity and the significance of our comprehensive relationship.”
“In particular I bring with me senior Māori representatives from New Zealand.
This signifies the importance of Māori to our bilateral connections, through trade, through culture and through people-to-people links.”
“I also have with me our champion winning kapa haka group which further illustrates the contribution of New Zealand’s indigenous culture to the relationship with China.”
The delegation will launch the Rewi Alley fellowship at the Peking University tonight
Kereama Wright is the director of Mairanga Media