Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has revealed climate change including low emissions shipping and flights to be a new focus of New Zealand-Singapore relations during a news conference with Singapore leader Lee Hsien Loong.
Both countries also agreed to continue to upgrade trade agreements in the region, and welcomed efforts by the United States to establish an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
However, Lee said he had no indication of the US trying to join the CPTPP trade agreement, which would counter China's growing influence in the region.
Nor had the US asked Singapore to make any compromises to make it more lucrative for the US to join the agreement.
"They have told us quite clearly it's nothing to do with us. It's just off the table because their politics does not make it possible at present, and meanwhile they wish to remain engaged in the region by whatever means are feasible," Lee said.
Ardern is on her first trip overseas in more than two years, with Singapore her first port of call followed by Japan later in the week.
Ardern and Lees' joint statement also repeated both countries' "strong condemnation of the invasion and occupation of Ukraine and demanded Russia's immediate withdrawal".
Asked about China's relationship with Russia in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as China's increasing influence in the Pacific, Ardern said that China "continued to acknowledge" the impact the conflict in Ukraine was having on the world.
Lee said he was watching the impact of the invasion on China-Russia relations, and "therefore China-US relations".
"We both have a vested interest in China-US relations being stable and not being complicated or further sharpened by hostility or lack of trust on both sides. And we hope that wisdom will prevail and Ukraine will not make things more complicated."
Ardern and Lee added a fifth pillar - climate change and sustainability - to the New Zealand-Singapore Enhanced Partnership, including a focus on decarbonising the aviation sector.
Lee said New Zealand was at the "end of the world", and decarbonising long flights should be a priority.
Ardern said sustainable aviation was "critical", but so too was low-emissions shipping, given that 20 per cent of New Zealand's exports and 25 per cent of New Zealand's imports come through Singapore.
The other four pillars are trade and economics, security and defence, science, technology and innovation, and people-to-people links.
The Prime Ministers also agreed to deeper cooperation to future-proof supply chains from disruption, an issue which has been highlighted due to global Covid disruptions.
"Singapore is an important partner for New Zealand in the face of current and future global challenges, from threats to global peace and security to climate change," Ardern said.
Before her meeting with Lee, Ardern received a ceremonial welcome and called on Singapore's President Halimah Yacob, inspected the Guard of Honour at the presidential residence, and attended a ceremony where a pink hybrid orchid named after her was revealed.
Earlier today, Ardern announced a "refreshed" working holiday scheme with Singapore.
During her first international trip since the Covid pandemic began, the Prime Minister met with young people in Singapore who have been on the scheme or are interested in applying.
From May 5:
• The number of working holiday scheme visas available to Singaporeans rises to 300 from 200
• The age of eligibility is extended to 18-30 years of age
• The visa length is extended to 12 from 6 months, and
• Applicants no longer need to be university students but must have undertaken tertiary study in the previous two years.
"Working holidaymakers are also tourists during their stay and tend to visit multiple regions, which will be beneficial for the tourism sector, hospitality, retail and local economies throughout New Zealand," Ardern said.
"We very much forward to welcoming Singaporean working holidaymakers back to New Zealand."
The scheme was part of the Singapore New Zealand Enhanced Partnership announced in May 2019 but the Covid pandemic prevented it from going ahead.
