With geopolitical tension and uncertainty rising, New Zealand’s ruling coalition faces urgent questions about defence spending, alliances and its independent foreign policy.
The revised law is targeting not only Westerners working in China, but also Chinese nationals who work for foreign companies or organisations or interact with foreigners in any way.
At the end of September, US President Jo Biden will host Pacific leaders at the White House – a sign the US is taking the region, and China’s role in it, more seriously.
The US speak of the house’s visit to Taiwan has provoked more sabre-rattling from China, but neither China nor the US will want tensions to escalate further.
While there are good reasons not to exaggerate these events, the bad news is these incidents are almost certain to continue. But we shouldn’t frame them as if we’re in the brink of war.
Research suggests that two factors are most important when making decisions on how businesses should respond to the U.S.-China trade war: location and supply chain dependence, and technology.
The meeting of the leaders of the world’s most powerful countries hit all the right diplomatic notes, but there are still vast differences and disagreements to work through.
The region is already arming at the fastest rate in the world, but China and other nations can be expected to respond to AUKUS by further expanding their militaries.