South-East Asia is anxious about the Ukraine war’s impact on regional economies. For New Zealand, that presents more pressing geopolitical priorities than confronting China.
Does New Zealand have more to lose than gain by joining ‘pillar two’ of the AUKUS security pact? The next government will have to decide, with serious implications for the country’s foreign policy.
New Zealand faces “more geostrategic challenges than we have had in decades”, according to the defence minister. A broad defence and security reset aims to prepare the country for what may be ahead.
Given the tensions with Russia and China, there is a clear need for greater cooperation among a larger group of countries to effectively counter the two, both in Asia and Europe.
An American guided-missile cruiser off the coast of Japan near Mt. Fuji.
(David Flewellyn/U.S. Navy via AP)
Biden’s decision is a clear reminder of the importance that US domestic politics continue to play in setting the terms for US strategy and credibility in the region.
The latest vitriolic exchange reflects the long-running policy animosity between the two, particularly Keating’s hostility to Wong over the issue of China
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida greets US Vice President Kamala in Tokyo. Washington is focused on moving close to partners it can trust.
Photo by David Mareuil/Pool/Getty Images
With heightened superpower tensions, war in Europe and new military alliances forming, New Zealand’s defence review must set the right course in a dangerous world.
This week, Austalia began a climate pivot on its relationship with the region. Fossil fuels are out and exporting green energy and green manufacturing techniques are in.
NZ PM Jacinda Ardern and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after their meeting on June 30.
Getty Images
For the EU, the recent trade deal with New Zealand is about a lot more than money. Climate change and expanding its role and influence well beyond European borders are major motivations.
Activists hold slogans as they protest against Chinese aggression in the South China Sea outside the Chinese consulate in Makati, Philippines in November 2021.
(AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
The US, Australia, Japan and India are keen to show they are not merely reacting to their rivals’ agendas, but are able to offer their own ambitious solutions for the Indo-Pacific.
New Zealand’s geographical distance will be no defence against the consequences of a protracted crisis. So why has there been so little discussion about the threats?
The two countries are on fundamentally different pages when it comes to regional security, and this is going to become more of an issue in the future.
China is currently in a better position than the West to assist the Indo-Pacific, due to geography, trade dynamics and its own clean tech sector. China’s chief negotiator Xie Zhenhua, right, walks with John Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate at the COP26 U.N. Climate Summit in Glasgow, Scotland, on Nov. 12, 2021.
(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Jonas Goldman, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Western democracies need to create a financing program to support the energy transition in the Indo-Pacific — and to achieve both regional security and climate goals.
New Zealand participated in a recent UK-led defence exercise in South East Asia.
AAP
Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Discipline of Politics & International Relations, Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University
Professor in Law and Co-Convener National Security Hub (University of Canberra) and Research Fellow (adjunct) - The Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa, Faculty of Military Science, Stellenbosch University- NATO Fellow Asia-Pacific, University of Canberra