New Zealand’s public diplomacy in the Pacific: a reset, or more of the same?
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In May 2018, the New Zealand Government announced a new foreign policy initiative, the Pacific Reset, launched in the context of ‘an increasingly contested strategic environment’ that was challenging New Zealand’s ability to pursue its interests and eroding its influence. The new initiative aims to increase New Zealand influence and connections by developing deeper partnerships, through a greater focus on soft diplomacy, public diplomacy and people-to-people measures. The Pacific Reset is supported by an extra $150 million for New Zealand’s foreign ministry and $714 million for New Zealand’s aid programme. Is New Zealand’s public diplomacy calibrated right to meet these new objectives? This paper critically examines recent New Zealand foreign ministry public diplomacy in the context of the objectives set out in the Pacific Reset. In particular, it assesses whether New Zealand public diplomacy reflects the conceptual shift from the ‘old’ one-way public diplomacy to the two-way engagement ethos of the ‘new’ public diplomacy.
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Public diplomacy, New Zealand foreign policy, Pacific Reset, Pasifika Television