More broadly, the very uncertain strategic outlook and the spilling over of political disputes into the trade arena have reinforced the need for nations to have diverse and robust trade relationships and to look more closely at the resilience of supply chains. It also means, more than ever, that multilateralism needs champions—countries who are willing to be leaders and to strongly and enthusiastically uphold the institutions, the norms, and the rules that make up the international order that all countries, but particularly small states like New Zealand, rely on to get things done, and to avoid situations where a destructive might-is-right ethos undermines what we're trying to achieve generally, but particularly in times of crisis, like those we've seen over the last year during the COVID pandemic. 