1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,200 Speaker 1: Our Prime minister is considering sending a navy vessel to 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: the South China Sea as the region's tensions continue to rise. 3 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: This slightly related to what's going on with China, but 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: more to do with Vietnam, where the government where the 5 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: Prime Minister is visiting at the moment, strengthening the country's 6 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: diplomatic ties. He's stigned a strategic partnership. Jason Walls is 7 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: News Talks of beg's political editor. He's with me tonight. 8 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,639 Speaker 2: Hi, Jason, good morning, good morning, good evening. Ryan. 9 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:29,120 Speaker 1: Good to have you on What exactly has the Prime 10 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: Minister signed here. 11 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a bit confusing. It's called the Comprehensive Strategic 12 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 2: Partnership Agreement. Now it sounds a little odd and esque, 13 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 2: like they've just slapped the word comprehensive in front of 14 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 2: it to make everything hunky dory. But it is actually 15 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 2: quite significant because in Vietnam, the structure here is very 16 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:50,520 Speaker 2: controlled by the government. Even the business side of things. 17 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 2: You need a lot of government sign off before you 18 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 2: do anything. So what this does is it makes us 19 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 2: a preferred partner and it makes it just a lot 20 00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 2: easier to get business done. And when it comes to 21 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,000 Speaker 2: diplomatic ties as well. So it sounds cheesy, but it's 22 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:05,680 Speaker 2: actually quite significant. There's only about ten other countries in 23 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 2: the world that are in the door with this sort 24 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 2: of agreement, and. 25 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: What's he promised them in terms of our navy And 26 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:14,760 Speaker 1: because obviously there is a huge dispute between China and 27 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 1: Vietnam and a whole bunch of other players in the 28 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,040 Speaker 1: region in the South China Sea. So what's he promising 29 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,200 Speaker 1: here and is it anything to do with China or 30 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 1: is it just to do with Vietnam. 31 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 2: So within the agreement there is a security tingent. Now 32 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 2: we haven't actually seen the details of this, but yesterday 33 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 2: in the Capitol building in Hanoi, when Prime Minister Chris 34 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,119 Speaker 2: Luxan rather was talking about this deal with Vietnam's Prime minister, 35 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 2: he almost mentioned it m almost offhanded, that he was 36 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 2: wanting to explore sending a New Zealand Navy vessel to Vietnam. 37 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 2: And of course Vietnam's shoreline is the South China Sea. 38 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 2: So immediately alarm bells were perking up in my ears 39 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 2: given the contentious nature of that region, but also what's 40 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 2: happening in our own backyard in the Tasman Sea with 41 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,240 Speaker 2: the Chinese War, so it was it seems like he 42 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 2: at this stage he's just he's just floated the idea, 43 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 2: he's thinking about it. But and it's not the first 44 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 2: time we've seen a ship come through that area in 45 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 2: New Zealand ship. But given the context of everything that's 46 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: happening right now, it does make you kind of cock 47 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 2: your eyebrows a little bit. 48 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: So how's he actually behaving? How's he how's he fearing? 49 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: I guess with all these questions about his you know, 50 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: his corporate speak and all the you know, he's had 51 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 1: a few bad polls, how does he look over there? 52 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,240 Speaker 1: How does what's his demeanor like in these stand ups 53 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: and when you're interacting with him, To. 54 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 2: Be honest, he's in his element. I mean when he's overseas, 55 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 2: he's actually just like the energizer Bunny because he gets 56 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 2: around these events and he's talking to people and he's 57 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:45,080 Speaker 2: shaking hands and he's doing everything that he likes to 58 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: be doing. There's always a number of people around him, 59 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 2: and nobody works room like Chris Luxon. I mean, you've 60 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 2: got to drag him out of there. And I always 61 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 2: feel bad for his aides. Who are constantly just tapping 62 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 2: him on the shoulders saying it's time to go Prime minister. 63 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 2: So he's faring well in that regard. However, you know 64 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 2: that that Mike Hoskin interview did follow him here and 65 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 2: yesterday when he was talking to press, he answered the 66 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 2: question and said, yes, if he hadn't a resigner would 67 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 2: have sacked him. You would have thought that that's something 68 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 2: that he could have done to save him a bunch 69 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 2: of pain in the beginning that it's a lesson that 70 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 2: I don't think he's going to make. What's a mistake 71 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 2: he's not going to make. 72 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: Again, certainly not. Jason, thank you for that. I think 73 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 1: you've got to have bought a plane to ho Chi, 74 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: Minh City, So good luck with that. Jason Wolves News 75 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 1: Talk zid be Political Editor. For more from Hither Duplessy 76 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 1: Allen Drive, listen live to news Talks it'd be from 77 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.