Anna Fifield
New Zealand
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Articles by Anna Fifield
Everyone's hedging - why the world is working around the US Original
Pulitzer prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum says the process of the world restructuring itself around America has begun. Everyone's hedging - why the world is working around the US A leading expert on autocracy says New Zealand must make sure that big tech companies respect our sovereignty and our laws in order to guard against democratic decline.
DPMC boss faces political neutrality questions over National candidate partner
Jessica Rowe is running for the National Party. Her partner, Ben King, holds the role of “most trusted bureaucrat,” creating ethical concerns. Experts and insiders are raising concerns about the political neutrality of the public service after it emerged that Ben King, chief executive of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, is engaged to a National Party candidate.
PACNEWS ONE, 14 SEPTEMBER 2026
In this bulletin: 1. VAN — Vanuatu Government takes over Maritime Safety Authority after MV Matui tragedy 2. NZ — ‘Treasury can write what it likes’: Winston Peters defends Pacific Islands Forum hosting decision 3. PACIFIC — U.S deepens Pacific engagement with new economic and security initiatives 4. PACIFIC — Biggest Pacific gathering on Nature Conservation ends with declaration committing to strengthened efforts 5. PACIFIC — Fiji sets three priorities for COP31 6.
As Southeast Asian countries diversify, NZ racks up new partnerships
But we are also part of those countries’ diversification strategies too. Countries around the world are figuring out how to navigate the changing geopolitical environment as China and the US seek spheres – or rather, hemispheres – of influence. This week on The Detail, we look at the ways many countries are “hedging” and trying to maintain good relationships with both powers, at the same time as forging new links and fortifying existing ones.
In Sudan, immense suffering while the world turns a blind eye
The war in Sudan is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis: hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, 14 million have been displaced, and famine looms. But the conflict has been called the “forgotten war” because so little international attention has been paid to it. Tom Gardner, an Africa correspondent at The Economist who visited Sudan last month, says this is partly the result of “compassion fatigue” amid so many conflicts, and because Gaza and Ukraine feel less remote to many people.
New Zealand is determined not to keep China’s espionage a secret
Subscribe to The Informer for monthly expert analysis, and to Events for advance notice of visiting world leaders and distinguished guests. Website NewslettersThe InformerEvents You may unsubscribe from Lowy Institute newsletters at any time. For information on our privacy practices and how to unsubscribe, see our Privacy Policy. The most-pressing world events explained by Lowy Institute experts and global contributors, in your inbox, every Wednesday.
As Trump creates global chaos, China sees a chance to influence NZ
China sees an opportunity – created by US President Donald Trump and the global chaos he is creating – to influence New Zealand’s actions in the world, according to an expert on the Chinese Communist Party. “If you’re a propagandist sitting in Beijing, Trump is the gift you never thought you’d get,” says Sam Chetwin George, a senior fellow at the Asia Society’s Center on US-China Relations in New York.
New Zealand’s Winston Peters falls flat
Subscribe to The Informer for monthly expert analysis, and to Events for advance notice of visiting world leaders and distinguished guests. Website NewslettersThe InformerEvents You may unsubscribe from Lowy Institute newsletters at any time. For information on our privacy practices and how to unsubscribe, see our Privacy Policy. The most-pressing world events explained by Lowy Institute experts and global contributors, in your inbox, every Wednesday.
Trump’s tariffs are back, again
The 12.5 percent tariffs that the Trump administration imposed on New Zealand this month are more likely to survive legal challenges than the previous levies, according to the Washington Post’s veteran economics correspondent. President Donald Trump, who has called tariffs the “most beautiful word in the dictionary,” imposed new taxes on 60 economies earlier this month, ostensibly for not banning products made with forced labour.
PACNEWS TWO 27 JULY 2026
In this bulletin: 1. PACIFIC— ‘Everyone will be loser’: Taiwan deputy minister says war with China would be bad for the Pacific 2. FIJI — Election timeline is very clear, Fiji PM Rabuka reiterates 3. PALAU — Palau President Whipps outlines progress, Challenges in State of the Republic address 4. FIJI — Fiji PM Rabuka stands by MSG appointment 5. PALAU — Palau Senate passes cybersecurity bill as new presidential tech office raises overlap questions 6.
Australia’s diplomatic blitz across the Pacific
Australia has been on an extraordinary diplomatic frenzy across the Pacific over the past year – and especially over the past month – as the result of mounting concerns over China’s growing interest in the region. Both Australia and New Zealand are more and more concerned that Beijing has military ambitions for the South Pacific and holds few qualms about moving into the region, as evidenced by its launch of a ballistic missile into the waters off Tuvalu earlier this month.
Why India wants NZ on its side
India views New Zealand not just as an economic partner but as a diplomatic ally who can help uphold the international rules-based order at a time when it is coming under increased strain, according to experts on India’s foreign policy. The National-led Government has been trumpeting its free trade agreement with India as a way to bolster New Zealand’s economy and diversify export markets.
Anna Fifield: ‘The world suddenly feels much closer’
In your blog, you describe New Zealand as being caught between two giants: China, its largest trading partner, and the United States, its key security partner. How difficult has it become for Wellington to balance these relationships in today’s geopolitical environment? New Zealand has always felt protected by its isolation. We’re at the bottom of the world, small and very far away, so for a long time we assumed people were unlikely to bother with us.
Anna Fifield: Neuseeland ist keine Mittelmacht
Die Fragen stellte Alena Bieling. In Ihrem Blog beschreiben Sie Neuseeland als ein Land, das zwischen zwei Großmächten steht: zwischen China, dem größten Handelspartner, und den USA, dem wichtigsten Sicherheitspartner. Wie schwierig ist es für Wellington geworden, beide Beziehungen im heutigen geopolitischen Umfeld in Einklang zu bringen? Neuseeland fühlte sich lange durch seine geografische Isolation geschützt.
Dokonalý soudruh Kim Čong-un přehled
Domů Knihy Dokonalý soudruh Kim Čong-un Přehled Zkušená americká novinářka Anna Fifield předkládá jedinečný a brilantní vhled do nejbizarnějšího a nejuzavřenějšího politického režimu na světě. Při získávání informací měla možnost pracovat nejen s lidmi z bezprostředního okolí Kim Čong-una, ale také s emigranty včetně těch, kteří zastávali v systému Severní Koreje vysoké funkce.
I became a runner in midlife. Here’s how you can, too.
On Valentine’s Day, exactly one month before my 50th birthday, I ran my first ultramarathon — an official UTMB 50 race, although it was actually 53 kilometers (33 miles). But what’s a couple of miles between friends at that distance? (UTMB stands for Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc and the organization hosts ultramarathon events around the world.)
I became a runner in midlife. Here’s how you can, too.
I became a runner in midlife. Here’s how you can, too. (washingtonpost.com) I became a runner in midlife. Here’s how you can, too. By Anna Fifield 2026031110011500 On Valentine's Day, exactly one month before my 50th birthday, I ran my first ultramarathon — an official UTMB 50 race, although it was actually 53 kilometers (33 miles). But what's a couple of miles between friends at that distance?
I became a runner in midlife. Here’s how you can, too.
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. On Valentine’s Day, exactly one month before my 50th birthday, I ran my first ultramarathon - an official UTMB 50 race, although it was actually 53 kilometers (33 miles). But what’s a couple of miles between friends at that distance?
Tsunami alerts issued for U.S. West Coast and Japan after 8.8-magnitude quake
Tsunami alert upgraded to ‘advisory’ for California coast after massive Russian earthquake A tsunami advisory was issued for all of the California coast after an 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Russia. According to the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center, the advisory was in effect for the entire West Coast, including Washington and Oregon. The advisory also includes a …
South Korean investigators seek to arrest president for leading insurrection
South Korean investigators on Friday moved to formally arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol, impeached and detained after a botched attempt to impose martial law and assert political control last month, as they hold him on suspicion of insurrection.
China age para impulsionar economia em dificuldades com maior pacote de estímulos desde a pandemia
As autoridades financeiras da China lançaram medidas excepcionalmente amplas destinadas a injetar ímpeto na segunda maior economia do mundo, anunciando nesta terça-feira, 24, o pacote de estímulo mais significativo desde que a pandemia atingiu o país há quase cinco anos. Essas medidas, que incluem o corte das taxas de juros e o apoio aos mercados imobiliários e acionários, surgem em meio a sinais de que a economia chinesa não atingirá a meta de crescimento do governo de 5% este ano.
China moves to boost ailing economy with property, stimulus measures
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The global stakes of Taiwan’s election Original
With Beijing military planes at times looming, Taiwan’s ruling party’s candidate, Lai Ching-te, contends democracy itself is on the ballot this weekend. Opposition candidate Hou Yu-ih warns that voters face a choice between war and peace. And a new third party candidate, Ko Wen-je, has been drawing a younger, anti-establishment base.
Henry Kissinger makes surprise visit to China, meets top diplomat
Dr. Henry A. Kissinger smiles during an award ceremony hosted by the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon honoring him for his years of distinguished public service May 9, 2016. Dr. Kissinger was presented with the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service.
Henry Kissinger makes surprise visit to China, meets defense minister
Comment Former secretary of state Henry Kissinger, the 100-year-old who was at the heart of the United States’ rapprochement with China half a century ago, has made a surprise visit to Beijing. Kissinger, whose visit was not previously announced, met Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu in Beijing on Tuesday, according to a report by the official Xinhua News Agency that was also posted on the ministry’s website.
Summer reading: Books on the Chathams, Whanganui and Auckland
This year has been intense. Hooray summer is finally here. We asked busy people around the Wellington region what they’re looking forward to reading over their break. Here’s what they said. Tory Whanau, Mayor of Wellington I have the intention of starting my summer reading with Democracy in Aotearoa New Zealand: A Survival Guide by Geoffrey Palmer and Gwen Palmer-Steeds. It aims to empower people to navigate the political world and influence political decisions.
Letter from the Dominion Post editor: Farewell, and please support local journalism
Dear readers – Friday was my last day as the editor of the Dominion Post, so I hope you’ll indulge me in my final letter from the editor. I’m enormously proud of all the things we’ve achieved in the last two years, in often trying circumstances: We produced exhaustive coverage of the protests that brought the city to a standstill at the beginning of the year. We’ve celebrated the arts and culture that make our region such a vibrant place to live.
The Dominion Post's Christmas appeal: Why we chose The Good Registry
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It’s time for the Dominion Post’s annual Christmas appeal, where we tell you about cool people making a big difference in our community. Over the past two years, we’ve highlighted groups in our region, like Nourish and Bellyful, who are helping to feed kids in need, and groups like Age Concern and the Wellington City Mission, who are helping to foster connections.
The Dominion Post says: Roads are for all of us, not just for motorists
This is the editorial position of the Dominion Post newspaper. EDITORIAL: Some people around here seem to think that roads are exclusively the preserve of motorists. In particular, they seem to think Cobham Drive is a thoroughfare only for cars and trucks, and that people on their way to the airport should not have to endure the inconvenience of perhaps having their journey delayed by an entire 15 seconds.
My Favourite Table: Trevor Mallard loves the date scones at Miss Fortune's
Speaker of the House, and Wainuiomata resident, Trevor Mallard on why he loves Miss Fortune’s in Seaview. “This place is halfway between work and home. Most of the time, it’s open when I’m heading into town so it’s not unusual for me to stop off here. When I’m coming over the Wainui hill, I can generally get a sense of how bad the traffic is on the Esplanade [in Petone] so I’ll get a coffee and a scone.
Stuff news: Introducing our new Wellington newsroom
Monday marked an exciting new chapter for the Wellington team at Stuff as we moved into a brand new newsroom and started a new way of working. Over the past 18 months, I’ve talked about building trust in our journalism and becoming more transparent in how we carry out our work. Now we’re taking that to the next level in our new newsroom: a ground floor space with full-length windows on two sides. We are now literally transparent.
Mode Shift: Our streets must be safe for everyone
Change is hard, we get that. It took 14 years of fighting to allow the pedestrianisation of Cuba Street – business groups claimed it would destroy inner-city trade and drive customers away – in the 1970s. Now it’s impossible to imagine the central city without the vibrant Cuba Mall. Likewise, there was fierce opposition to the plans to create Midland Park, now an oasis on Lambton Quay.
My Favourite Table: Why Grant Robertson loves KK Malaysian and its beef rendang
Note from Dominion Post editor Anna Fifield: A while ago I was at KK Malaysian on Ghuznee St collecting my take-out laksa, when I spied a very old newspaper clipping on the wall. It was from 2011 and showed a relatively youthful Grant Robertson talking about his love of the restaurant’s beef rendang.
Letter from the Editor: Why I printed the most taboo word in English
Dear readers, A month ago, I printed the most taboo word in the English language in this newspaper. Not just in this paper, but in the first paragraph of the lead story on the front page. It was not a decision I made lightly. This newspaper, and the broader Stuff group, is relatively conservative when it comes to swear words. We use them sparingly, and we don’t print the most offensive ones in full, instead using dots after the first letter. I agree with this.
Veinticinco millones de prisioneros
Kim Jong-Un ha logrado lo que mucha gente, yo incluida, creía imposible: ha durado 10 años enteros en el poder como líder totalitario de Corea del Norte, un anacrónico Estado comunista de otra época que, si nos guiamos por la historia, hace años que tendría que haberse derrumbado. Como cuando la Unión Soviética se derrumbó en 1991. O cuando el padre fundador de Corea del Norte, el abuelo de Kim Jong-un, murió en 1994.
Veinticinco millones de prisioneros
Kim Jong-Un ha logrado lo que mucha gente, yo incluida, creía imposible: ha durado 10 años enteros en el poder como líder totalitario de Corea del Norte, un anacrónico Estado comunista de otra época que, si nos guiamos por la historia, hace años que tendría que haberse derrumbado. Como cuando la Unión Soviética se derrumbó en 1991. O cuando el padre fundador de Corea del Norte, el abuelo de Kim Jong-un, murió en 1994.
Letter from the editor: Asking hard questions about Transmission Gully
Wellington editor Anna Fifield talks to transport reporter Ben Strang after he drove the length of the new Transmission Gully motorway. Anna Fifield is the Wellington editor of Stuff. Dear readers, This week has been a big one for the Wellington region, and a big one for our newsroom, because of the long-awaited opening of Transmission Gully.
El gran sucesor
El gran sucesor El destino divinamente perfecto del Brillante Camarada Kim Jong Un Sinopsis Desde su nacimiento, en 1984, Kim Jong Un ha estado envuelto en mitos y propaganda, desde simples tonterías —supuestamente podía conducir un coche a la edad de tres años— hasta las sangrientas historias de los miembros de su familia que perecieron bajo su mando.
Reimagining Wellington: How Seoul uncovered a stream and changed the central city
The excavation and rehabilitation of Cheonggye Stream in Seoul has transformed the inner city. Once an elevated highway, it is now a magnet for locals and tourists alike. Go to the Cheonggye Stream any time of the day or night, and there will be something happening there. There will be musicians and protesters, young couples sitting on the steps by the water on a hot night, kids skipping across the stepping stones between the reeds, office workers taking a break from their relentless days.
Thank you Wellington, you're making a difference this Christmas
Adrienne Bushell and Alice Montague from the Nikau Foundation pack Christmas food parcels at the City Mission in Newtown. One mother who went into the City Mission’s “toy shop” in Newtown this week was overwhelmed. There, on the shelves, were brand new toys and books and other gifts – and she could pick two things and a book for her 13-year-old daughter, some stocking stuffers, and a board game or puzzle for them to play together. This will be the first Christmas her daughter has ever had presents.
Letter from the editor: More corrections doesn't mean more errors
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw with the Rugby World Cup trophy in 2011. On Thursday, The Dominion Post ran a correction because we’d called him Ritchie, with a T. You may have noticed that there are often corrections or clarifications published on page 3. I’ve had a few emails recently commenting about this, and drawing the conclusion that we’re getting more things wrong. Today I want to correct that assumption.
Chun Doo-hwan, brutal South Korean dictator, dies at 90
Gen. Chun Doo-Hwan in 1978. (AP) Former South Korean president Chun Doo-hwan, an army major general who seized control in a 1979 coup and whose name will forever be associated with a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators the next year, one of the darkest moments in the country's postwar history, died Nov. 23 at his home in Seoul. He was 90. The Associated Press, quoting police and emergency officials, said the immediate cause was a heart attack. He also had multiple myeloma, a blood cancer.
Christmas appeal: Fostering connectedness after a difficult year
Nourish at Christmas charity prepare hundreds of kai hampers for families across Lower Hutt, Porirua and Tawa. Christmas is often a stressful time even during normal years, with all the food and presents and other preparations to be made.
Letter from the Editor: The case for optimism
Degraves St, one of Melbourne's finest laneway environments, is full of bars, restaurants, cafes and boutique shopping. It’s hard to believe the laneways were once grimy, grim places. Change can be hard, and this week, we’ve run lots of stories about the need for change. Our , has been reporting from the COP26 summit in Glasgow, telling us about the ever more urgent calls for action to stop our planet from warming. But there’s also a sense of gloominess.
Opinion: Wellington is great. Wellington can be even better.
Housing is the biggest challenge facing the Wellington region. OPINION: I recently went on a walking tour of five Wellington tech companies with a group of city leaders. I knew we had some amazing start-ups here – we’ve featured a bunch of them on these pages – but wow, I was still awed by their vision and their ambition.
Letter from the editor: On choosing what not to cover
Anna Fifield, editor of The Dominion Post. Dear readers, on Tuesday it will be exactly one year since I took on the job of editing this newspaper. I wrote about some of the year’s highlights in my monthly email to subscribers (if you don’t get this and want to, please check your spam box then email me, below), so I won’t ask you to indulge me again. Okay, maybe just a little bit.
Letter from the Editor: When it comes to vaccination, fair coverage doesn't mean equal coverage
Sky Stadium vaccination drive-thru opens in Wellington for essential workers and their bubbles On Monday morning, I joined the orderly queue of vehicles at the drive-thru vaccination clinic at Sky Stadium. The whole process was easy and seamless. While waiting for 15 minutes afterwards, I tweeted a photo to commemorate the moment. This sparked lots of questions from people abroad. Some people on Twitter thought it must have been a booster shot because it was so late in the year.
Letter from the Editor: Plastic is definitely not fantastic
In Anna Fifield's mail bag: two bundles of plastic newspaper bags. My inboxes – virtual and real – are a treasure trove. Queries about quiz answers, angry emails, letters seeking information about old photos, cycle path funnies, chocolate samples – I get it all. But one parcel that arrived recently had me laughing out loud: it was a recycled postal bag that felt squishy. I opened it and pulled out two big bundles of plastic bags – the ones in which this newspaper arrived on your doorstep today.
Letter from the DomPost editor: Are letters still relevant in the digital age?
The Dominion Post Editor Anna Fifield. The renowned 18th-century English writer Samuel Johnson once famously said: “Every man has a right to utter what he thinks truth, and every other man has a right to knock him down for it.” Two centuries on, Johnson’s utterance could still be said to be the guiding principle of this page.
Letter from the Editor: Biking in cities, and talofa to a new reporter
The new Brooklyn cycleway at the bottom of Brooklyn Rd was completely taken up by parked cars one recent weekend, meaning cyclists were having to veer on to the road. OPINION: One of the things I loved about living in Beijing, population 21 million, was biking around the city. I often biked to and from work, zooming down the third ring road past crazy skyscrapers, stopping with a thousand or so other cyclists at traffic lights.
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