Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has met with United States President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday morning.
The meeting comes against a backdrop of rising tensions in the Pacific over China's efforts to grow its influence in the region. The Chinese Foreign Minister has been visiting a number of Pacific nations to discuss economic and security agreements.
The pair discussed a number of topics, including the Pacific, China, gun control, online extremism and trade. Ardern has invited both Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris to New Zealand.
What you need to know
- Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has met on Wednesday morning with US President Joe Biden at the White House
- The pair discussed a number of topics, including the Pacific, China, gun control, online extremism and trade. Ardern has invited both Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris to New Zealand.
- The meeting was only confirmed on Friday after Ardern's recent COVID-19 diagnosis caused logistical issues
- It is Ardern's first visit to the White House since being elected Prime Minister in 2017
- These live updates are now over.
7:55am - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her meeting with President Joe Biden in the White House was "warm" and "friendly".
The meeting in the Oval Office was meant to be an hour but went for an hour and a half.
It was the first meeting a New Zealand Prime Minister has had in the White House since 2014 when Sir John Key met with then President Barack Obama.
Ardern told media outside the White House following her meeting she was "heartened" by the conversation with Biden.
7:45am - The Prime Minister earlier held a media standup outside the White House. Here are some photos of that event:
7:35am - Here's how a number of US journalists and media outlets reported on Ardern's trip to the White House:
7:25am - Former diplomat Stephen Jacobi and political commentator Ted Zorn spoke to AM about Ardern's US visit.
Jacobi called it a "significant visit" and given the global environment, it is "right and fitting she should be talking to the guy in charge".
Zorn said the visits are important in terms of symbolism, substance and in building relationships.
7:10am - Newshub political reporter Amelia Wade tells AM Ardern walked out of the office with a "number of commitments" from Biden.
She will be "well chuffed" with how the meeting went. Biden's also taken note of New Zealand's contribution to the Ukraine, Wade says.
It sounds like there isn't much appetite from Biden for the US to join the CPTPP, but Ardern is pushing for a more meaningful IPEF, Wade says.
The Newshub reporter says it's been a "surreal experience".
6:50am - U.S. President Joe Biden and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Tuesday raised concerns about a security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands, the White House said.
"The United States and New Zealand share a concern that the establishment of a persistent military presence in the Pacific by a state that does not share our values or security interests would fundamentally alter the strategic balance of the region and pose national-security concerns to both our countries," the White House said in a statement.
- Reuters
6:40am - Meeting with Jacinda Ardern was not the only thing on Joe Biden's agenda on Wednesday. He's also met with Korean Pop group BTS.
6:25am - National's Christopher Luxon says it's "absolutely fantastic" for New Zealand for Ardern to meet Joe Biden. Advancing the two countries' relationship is critical to trade, he says.
"It would be great to have deeper trade relationships with the US," he says.
The IPEF is "pretty light", Luxon says, and he wants to see New Zealand push harder in that space. He says New Zealand has to catch-up on global trade connections, noting that Australia has recently signed a free trade agreement with India.
6:15am - Former US Ambassador to New Zealand Mark Gilbert tells AM the meeting between Ardern and Biden is "fabulous". He said Ardern has had a "great trip" to the US and her speech at Harvard was well received.
Speaking about Ardern's invitation for Biden to visit New Zealand, Gilbert says that trip might be "difficult" because of the current Ukraine crisis and rising inflation. He has a bit on his plate right now, Gilbert tells AM.
Gilbert says China is looking to secure its own supply chains because of its need for raw resources. This has been happening for a long time, pointing to China's relationships in Africa. This is often done in a way that the US may not look upon "fondly", he says. That includes the massive loans China has given to some countries.
Biden understands how important the CPTPP is to New Zealand, Gilbert says, but it won't be his top priority at the moment.
6am - AM has the latest on Ardern and Biden's meeting, including an interview with former US Ambassador to the NZ Mark Gilbert, Newshub's political reporter in Washington DC Amelia Wade, and former diplomat Stephen Jacobi.
5:50am - Ardern and Biden have released a lengthy joint statement titled 'A 21st-Century Partnership for the Pacific, the Indo-Pacific, and the World'.
"Today, President Biden and Prime Minister Ardern committed to advance our longstanding partnership to meet 21st-century challenges: bolstering security and building resilience, including to climate change, in the Pacific; promoting prosperity in the Indo-Pacific; and combatting the climate crisis and ensuring the responsible use of technology around the world."
The statement covers an array of topics, ranging from security concerns in the Pacific, to human rights abuses in China, the Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, to trade ties, to climate change, to COVID-19 and the Christchurch Call.
"The United States and New Zealand will deepen our economic ties, with each other and the region. Bilaterally, we intend to work together to promote growth in both our economies for the benefit of all our citizens, and to explore how we can expand bilateral trade and investment in order to strengthen the security of our supply chains and economic resilience. To that end, the United States and New Zealand will resume annual Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) discussions."
5:40am - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has called New Zealand's relationship with the US "one of our most enduring and significant".
In a statement following her Wednesday morning meeting with US President Joe Biden, Ardern said the pair "recommitted to working together, and alongside others, in the pursuit of peace and stability, and in defence of the international rules-based order".
"Personally it was a great pleasure to meet the President face to face despite the challenges COVID has presented on this trip. The determination from both sides to meet despite COVID's curveballs reflects the strength of our relationship.
"Supporting Pacific resilience was high on the agenda, including the need to work with Pacific countries on climate change, COVID-19 economic recovery, and promoting peace and stability in the region. We welcome increased engagement by the United States in the Pacific, and together we will continue to respond to the Pacific’s own priorities."
Ardern welcomed the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, but said "we do want it to be meaningful".
"While we recognises the domestic complexities in the US in terms of free trade agreements, I urged the President to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTTP).
"The CPTPP is the best way the United States can support the economic resilience of our region, so on that basis I encouraged the President to look at the CPTTP as more than a trade agreement."
The statement said the two leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine, gun control, online extremism, and technology.
5:25am - Here's the full media standup from Ardern in case you missed it earlier:
5:15am - The White House has released a readout of the meeting between Ardern and Harris:
"Today, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand and Vice President Kamala Harris met at the White House and jointly reaffirmed the strong and deep relationship between the United States and New Zealand, based on shared values, people-to-people ties, and cooperation across a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global challenges.
"The Prime Minister and the Vice President welcomed the completion of negotiations on the bilateral Space Framework Agreement, which will be the foundation of our already robust civil space cooperation in the years ahead. The Framework will underpin the two nations’ cooperation including in: space science, earth science, sustainability, education, and technology. The Prime Minister and the Vice President reviewed the growing space partnership between the United States and New Zealand, including in supporting space exploration and taking action on climate change. They looked forward to future exchanges between the two countries."
5:05am - New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met US President Joe Biden on Tuesday (local time) 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 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, 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," he said.
4:50am - Ardern reflected on "our experience" with gun reform. She highlighted what the New Zealand experience was, including how reform was put forward and the issues encountered during that process.
"What I heard though... just that personal reflection over what has happened here," Ardern says of Biden's comments on the recent US shootings.
The pair were meant to speak for an hour, but ended up meeting for an hour and a half. That demonstrates the warmth of the conversation, Ardern says.
She invited President Biden and Vice-President Harris to New Zealand.
"President Biden has had the opportunity to visit us before and I got the sense he would love the opportunity to do it again if able."
She also raised tariffs on steel and aluminium.
"I believe that will be something that will be looked into."
Ardern spoke about space cooperation and the Christchurch Call with Harris.
4:45am - Jacinda Ardern says the meeting was "warm [and] friendly", with the pair discussing their "shared values and shared challenges". She is "heartened" by the nature of the conversation.
The US has been proactive in speaking about their intention to be in the Pacific on the Pacific's terms, Ardern says. That means partnering with the Pacific.
There is a close working relationship between NZ and US, Ardern says.
Given the contested nature of the Pacific, China was discussed between Ardern and Biden. The pair were "reflecting on the environment we are in".
They had a "good conversation" about Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, she says. She denies she has given up on trying to get the US to join the CPTPP, but says there are US domestic realities to deal with.
4:30am - In case you missed it earlier, here's the full video of Ardern and Biden's remarks ahead of their meeting.
4:20am - We are still waiting on the Prime Minister to arrive for her media conference. She has been meeting with US President Joe Biden.
4am - While we await the Prime Minister, here are some photos from the Ardern, Biden sit-down earlier:
3:50am - We are expecting a stand-up from the Prime Minister shortly. We will livestream that above and here.
3:40am - You can now watch the full remarks by US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the Oval Office here.
3:25am - Here is some insight into what may be getting discussed between the leaders at their meeting.
On the eve of the biggest meeting of her Prime Ministership, Jacinda Ardern said she will discuss the tension in the Pacific with President Joe Biden.
Before Ardern took off for the US, it was going to be her mission to talk about trade, climate change, and Ukraine. But China's plays in the Pacific this week have skyrocketed it up her agenda.
3:20am - US President Biden welcomed Prime Minister Ardern by saying: "It is good to see a not so old, but a good friend here."
"Your leadership has taken on a critical role on this global stage. It really has."
He mentioned Ardern's work "galvanising action on climate change" as well as to combat online extremism. He said New Zealand had given "significant support" to Ukraine.
New Zealand is one of the US' closest partners, Biden said.
Ardern gave New Zealand's sympathies for the recent shootings in New York and Texas. She thanked Biden for US' work in Ukraine.
3:15am - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is meeting with US President Joe Biden.
2:50am - Ardern is understood to be currently meeting with US Vice-President Kamala Harris. Following that, the Prime Minister will meet with US President Joe Biden. There will be remarks at the top of the meeting open to media, before the pair meet behind closed doors.
2:40am - We've add a video above of the moment Ardern arrives at the White House. Refresh your page if you cannot see it.
2:25am - The Prime Minister has arrived at the White House. It was a very brief moment, but she arrived in a vehicle flying both New Zealand and United States flags, exited it and walked into the White House. She will be meeting with Biden at about 3am NZT.
2:20am - Kia ora, good morning and welcome to Newshub's live updates of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's visit to the White House to meet US President Joe Biden.
