{ "id": "RL32876", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL32876", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 414047, "date": "2011-05-27", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T00:49:04.752055", "title": "New Zealand: Background and Bilateral Relations with the United States", "summary": "New Zealand is increasingly viewed as a stalwart partner of the United States that welcomes U.S. presence in its region. New Zealand and the United States enjoy very close bilateral ties across the spectrum of relations between the two countries. These ties are based on shared cultural traditions and values as well as on common interests. New Zealand is a stable and active democracy with a focus on liberalizing trade in the Asia-Pacific region. New Zealand also has a history of fighting alongside the United States in most of its major conflicts including World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. New Zealand is a regular contributor to international peace and stability operations and has contributed troops to the struggle against militant Islamists in Afghanistan, where it has a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Bamiyan Province. \nThe bilateral relationship between the United States and New Zealand was strengthened significantly through the signing of the Wellington Declaration in November 2010. At that time, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key signaled that past differences over nuclear policy have been set aside as the two described the relationship as the strongest and most productive it has been in 25 years. In the mid-1980s New Zealand adopted a still-in-effect policy of not allowing nuclear armed or nuclear powered ships to visit New Zealand ports. In a mark of how the relationship has been changing in recent years, New Zealand\u2019s nuclear stance earned Prime Minister John Key an invitation to President Obama\u2019s nuclear summit in April 2010. The Congressional Friends of New Zealand Caucus and the ongoing Partnership Forum between the two countries, which includes Congressional participation, have played a key role in deepening relations between the two nations. \nNew Zealand favors an open and inclusive strategic and economic architecture in the Asia-Pacific region. New Zealand also continues to seek closer strategic and economic relations and continued U.S. engagement in the Asia Pacific through U.S. participation in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a Asia-Pacific regional free trade initiative, as well as through U.S. membership in the East Asia Summit (EAS). New Zealand is a member of both the TPP group and the EAS. New Zealand\u2019s main export products include dairy products, meat, and wood products. \nNew Zealand also plays an important role in promoting regional stability in the Southwest Pacific and in archipelagic Southeast Asia. New Zealand\u2019s commitment to such operations is demonstrated by its leading role in helping to resolve conflict on Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, and its participation in peace operations in East Timor, and through its contribution of troops to security operations related to the Regional Assistance Mission in the Solomon Islands (RAMSI). New Zealand has also contributed to peace operations in places such as Bosnia, Sierra Leone, and Kosovo outside its region.\nThe National and Labour Parties have traditionally been the leading political parties in New Zealand. Prime Minister John Key of the National Party has faced a daunting challenge of dealing with the aftermath of a February 22, 2011 earthquake that devastated Christchurch, New Zealand\u2019s second largest city. Elections in New Zealand are to be held in November 2011. At that time, New Zealand voters will also be asked to vote on their preference for retaining the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL32876", "sha1": "30c7272776ae8576ca067695d2f2159635972260", "filename": "files/20110527_RL32876_30c7272776ae8576ca067695d2f2159635972260.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL32876", "sha1": "8219aef84b84483a29d1b8062069f81ad6c25750", "filename": "files/20110527_RL32876_8219aef84b84483a29d1b8062069f81ad6c25750.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 473, "name": "Southeast Asia, Australasia, and the Pacific Islands" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc819316/", "id": "RL32876_2008Sep03", "date": "2008-09-03", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "New Zealand: Background and Bilateral Relations with the United States", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20080903_RL32876_5e8032e8f6b8e812e8d2d2aadcf1f4226015ae91.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20080903_RL32876_5e8032e8f6b8e812e8d2d2aadcf1f4226015ae91.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs7193/", "id": "RL32876 2005-06-16", "date": "2005-06-16", "retrieved": "2005-09-20T10:53:55", "title": "New Zealand: Background and Bilateral Relations with the United States", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20050616_RL32876_35717f76671a21ceffa2b1d7172481ba811aebf5.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20050616_RL32876_35717f76671a21ceffa2b1d7172481ba811aebf5.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign economic relations - New Zealand - U.S.", "name": "Foreign economic relations - New Zealand - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign economic relations - U.S. - New Zealand", "name": "Foreign economic relations - U.S. - New Zealand" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs6700/", "id": "RL32876 2005-04-12", "date": "2005-04-12", "retrieved": "2005-08-03T11:51:35", "title": "New Zealand: Background and Bilateral Relations with the United States", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20050412_RL32876_70101d666bc40d067bf96c4a5c63ed31db991974.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20050412_RL32876_70101d666bc40d067bf96c4a5c63ed31db991974.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign economic relations - New Zealand - U.S.", "name": "Foreign economic relations - New Zealand - U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign economic relations - U.S. - New Zealand", "name": "Foreign economic relations - U.S. - New Zealand" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Trade", "name": "Trade" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Economic Policy", "Foreign Affairs", "National Defense" ] }