ABSTRACT
New Zealand is a small state that must recognize the realities of the world in which it lives. The prime minister has said repeatedly in the last few years, in a shift of emphasis, that New Zealand's prime foreign policy concerns are trade concerns. As New Zealand cuts its umbilical cord from Europe, it must change its production base and markets. Three of its four largest markets are in the Pacific -- the United States, Japan, and Australia, but so too are China and the Soviet Union. It is a pity that this conference, which has dwelled on the impact of these two countries, did not include them. I hope that as discussion on the Pacific Community grows, especially on matters where we disagree, let us have the arguments out together rather than letting discourse be left silent.
