Pressure is growing to include struggling Pacific nations in an Australia-New Zealand travel bubble, but economic diversity is what the region really needs.
New Zealand’s decision to block Huawei from its 5G cellular networks due to security concerns is likely to be just the first of many that challenge Wellington’s relationship with Beijing.
Whether New Zealand achieves real change in the way it engages with Pacific nations depends on how the ‘Pacific reset’ funding boost is translated into action on the ground.
New Zealand’s foreign minister announced a NZ$714 million increase in aid for Pacific nations in a soft-power response to China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.