New Zealand wants defense pact with US, UK and Australia

New Zealand, an ally of the United States known for its economic dependence on China and its avoidance of conflict, wants to participate in a historic trilateral defense agreement between the United States, the United Kingdom and the ‘Australia.

“And cyber is an area we would definitely be interested in, but there are no details yet – so we will be looking for details,” New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia Annette King told Australian media this week. .

This prospect could strengthen cooperation with New Zealand, despite Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s aversion to the nuclear submarine technology at the heart of the AUKUS deal, as the pact is known. Current members of the accord expect the pact to allow for an expansion of the US military presence in the region and an upgrade of various capabilities across the US alliance network in the region.

“AUKUS is by no means designed to be exclusive… It is a first step in terms of industrial development between like-minded partners,” said British General Nicholas Carter, British Chief of Defense Staff , at the Center for a New American Security. asked about Japan’s potential involvement last week. “If there were any opportunities there, then that’s the direction of travel he would go in. The same applies to Five Eyes and other like-minded countries as well.”

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New Zealand’s position within Five Eyes has appeared unstable recently, as Ardern’s government downplayed the prospect of an “alliance of democracies” to deal with threats from China and urged Australian officials to “Show respect” to Beijing. A senior British lawmaker concluded shortly after that New Zealand had just “left a large part of the Five Eyes community” even as Australian officials bore the brunt of economic pressure from China due to the Canberra’s call for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

“New Zealand and Australia were in a different space at the start, and maybe that just made it even sharper,” Victoria University professor David Capie said last month. “I think this alliance highlights that they are going in very different directions.”

The new interest of King, New Zealand’s principal envoy to Australia, coincides with the State Department’s decision to launch a new Office of Cyberspace and Digital Policy.

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“This will integrate the essential elements of security, economy and values of our computer program,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Monday. “We also plan to establish a new Special Envoy for Critical and Emerging Technologies to lead the immediate technology diplomacy agenda with our allies, partners and across multilateral forums.”

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