Luxon urges ASEAN, New Zealand to defend rules-based order amid rising geopolitical tensions

Speaking to Free Malaysia Today ahead of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Luxon said countries caught in the crosswinds of superpower competition must work together to uphold a stable, rules-based order.

“Our future really lies in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said, referring to ASEAN’s wider neighbourhood, which includes major powers such as China, India, Russia and the United States.

The region faces mounting challenges, including intensifying US-China tensions, heightened risks to key trade routes like the South China Sea, and shifting geopolitical alignments.

With global institutions such as the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations struggling to keep pace, Luxon said middle powers must help bridge gaps in international agenda-setting and leadership.

“The international rules-based system which has served the ASEAN countries incredibly well over the last 70 or 80 years is breaking down,” he said. “What we are seeing increasingly is that might and power matter more than rules.”

Luxon called on ASEAN to reinforce the framework that has supported trade-dependent economies such as New Zealand and Malaysia. He said groupings like the European Union, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and ASEAN play a critical role in shaping how countries interact under pressure in global trade.

“For smaller countries like New Zealand, these rules are not just ideals. They are existential,” he said, adding that Wellington has sought to pioneer new approaches, citing its early efforts with Singapore that helped lay the groundwork for the CPTPP.

Luxon said maintaining peace and strengthening economic resilience remain key priorities, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains.

“ASEAN can convene a series of very important countries in the world and amplify that position and that voice. There are a lot of challenges in the world, but there are also a lot of opportunities,” he said.

Luxon outlined three main priorities for New Zealand at the upcoming summit: peace and stability, trade under pressure, and people-to-people ties.

“There will be a major focus around trade and investment, and how we continue to uphold the rules-based system when economies are under pressure,” he said.

Despite its geographic distance, ASEAN is New Zealand’s fourth-largest trading partner, accounting for one in four jobs in the country. Luxon said he sees significant potential for deeper economic cooperation.

“As ASEAN continues to grow and the economies continue to grow, there is just so much more opportunity for us to sell high-value products and services into the region,” he said. “But it is also about opening up our market to ASEAN. It has to be a two-way, mutually respectful partnership.”

Luxon also highlighted the importance of strengthening educational exchanges, tourism and cultural ties to support broader economic goals.

New Zealand will attend the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in Kuala Lumpur from 26 to 28 October, where regional leaders are expected to discuss security, economic cooperation and the future of the Indo-Pacific.