New Zealand said Thursday it will not deal with Myanmar under a major 15-nation trade agreement, the world's largest that took effect this year, citing the deadly violence and democratic setbacks in the Southeast Asian country after the military seized power last year.
Two Asian diplomats told The Associated Press that New Zealand notified other members of the Regional Comprehensive Regional Partnership, which includes China but not the United States, that it would not recognize Myanmar’s “instrument of ratification” — the key document binding a country to the free trade pact — because it opposes its military-led government.
