Many of the world's top leaders will be at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit next week in San Francisco, including US President Joe Biden and China's leader Xi Jinping. But will New Zealand show up - and if so, who?
APEC is being hosted in San Francisco from 11 to 17 November this year and its 21 member nations are expected to send representatives.
The regional economic forum was established in 1989 and is regularly attended by prime ministers and presidents.
Executive Director of the New Zealand Business Forum and APEC Business Advisory Council, Stephen Jacobi, told Checkpoint it was critical that New Zealand have a seat at the table despite the ongoing election uncertainty.
"APEC is incredibly important for New Zealand," he said.
"This is a region that takes over 70 percent of our exports and it is an opportunity for our prime minister to engage with the leaders of those economies.
"It would be great if we could have Christopher Luxon there, it is an opportunity for him to make early contact with President Biden, President Xi Jinping, also the prime ministers and presidents of Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, you name it."
Jacobi acknowledged that "our constitution arrangements are important too and I guess a judgement will have to be made by those that are directly concerned with that".
However, New Zealand definitely should not beg off APEC due to the coalition negotiations, he said.
"If no one went from New Zealand that would be terrible. Not to appear at an APEC for a country like New Zealand that's dependent on trade with that region and the relations that we could build up would be incredibly negative."
Christopher Luxon is likely to not yet be prime minister when APEC begins this weekend. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Jacobi said New Zealand could be represented by the caretaker government, or by a combination with support from incoming government as is currently happening at the Pacific Islands Forum.
"Not to attend would be extremely negative and I don't think is being really contemplated."
Caretaker Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and trade minister Damien O'Connor could attend, he said, while ministers in waiting from the incoming government could attend in an observer fashion.
"They won't be able to participate in the actual APEC meeting but they could participate in the various bilateral meetings that take place all around APEC."
Jacobi said many important meetings on trade agreements and other deals will be going on around the forum.
"It's not just one meeting, it's a whole series of meetings."
"It's very important that our seat is not left vacant."
It likely would not be the first time a country has just had an election and had to attend a forum like APEC, he said.
"I think that without a doubt the best option is for the incoming government to be there. The second option is for them to be represented in some way, the third option is for the caretaker government to do the mahi."
