Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark shakes hands with China President Xi Jinping before a parade to mark 80 years since the end of World War II. Photo: Screenshot / CGTN
Former prime minister Helen Clark says her presence at a military parade in China was a "line call".
Clark and fellow former prime minister Sir John Key appeared alongside current world leaders at the military parade in China to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.
The 90-minute event included a procession of military vehicles, heavy weapons, and thousands of military servicemen and women, as well as a fly-past of warplanes and helicopters.
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted the event, standing beside Russia's Vladimir Putin, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
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Clark and Key both shook hands with Xi upon arrival, and photos showed the New Zealanders near former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr.
Clark told Morning Report there was broad participation in the event, and maintains it was the right thing to do.
"I was very conscious when I was considering it, that the official guest list of leaders might look something like it ended up looking like. But on the other hand there were, apart from those who we wouldn't be inviting to official events in New Zealand, there were good friends of New Zealand."
Former New Zealand Prime Ministers John Key and Helen Clark at China's event marking 80 years since the end of World War II. Photo: BBC
Clark said the list of former dignitaries such as herself and Key included a number of other democratically elected former heads of government and ministers.
She said she and Key were there in a private capacity, and not representing New Zealand.
Instead, it was a recognition of the role the two played in building New Zealand's economic partnership with China.
"We are former prime ministers who both contributed a lot to getting the very strong economic relationship with China that New Zealand enjoys today. So you weigh up all these things when you look at whether you will go, and in the end it's a balance of, in the greater good, the greater interest yes, it would be very interesting to be observing this."
Clark did not meet with Putin or Kim, which she described as "rather a relief".
She said it was an opportunity to mark the event of the end of the war, while looking forward. China had stressed to her the event was to be an occasion around recommitting to the founding mission of the United Nations.
"We're talking about a country vying with India to have the largest population on earth. It happens to be our major trade partner. It is an emerging power. Do we want to engage with it? Or do we want to say no, no, no we can't go there, because somebody else might be there they're meeting and so on.
"I think this all gets a bit silly. We have to engage. We have to be very clear what our own values are."
RNZ has also approached Key for comment.
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