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Opinion | No reason to think New Zealand is shifting its position on China and Aukus
- New Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has left China off his travel itinerary despite calling a visit to Beijing a ‘high priority’ in January
- Put in context amid the demands of domestic politics, though, this is not evidence New Zealand has sided with the US against China
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New Zealand’s prime ministerial transition from Jacinda Ardern to Chris Hipkins, along with the possibility of a new government later this year, has raised significant debate about whether the nation’s approach to China is about to change.
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The recent announcement of Hipkins’ travel schedule for the next few months has added fuel to the fire about New Zealand’s relationship with China because Beijing is a notable omission on the itinerary. This is despite Hipkins stating shortly after taking office in late January that a visit to China was a “high priority”.
Geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller argues that Hipkins has chosen “Brisbane over Beijing”, which signals, along with other developments, that New Zealand “increasingly follows in Australia’s foreign policy footsteps”.
New Zealand made waves earlier when defence minister Andrew Little said he was “willing to explore” participating in the second, non-nuclear pillar of the Aukus grouping. However, this and the recent travel announcement should not be taken as evidence of a clear sea change in New Zealand’s China policy – at least not yet.
First, Little’s statement on Aukus seems more about testing the waters domestically to see how New Zealanders would feel being associated, even minimally, with a pact that is centred on nuclear technology. Anti-nuclear sentiments run deep in New Zealand, and popular perception will be a significant hurdle before Wellington could commit to participating in Aukus.
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Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern delivers emotional final address to parliament
Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern delivers emotional final address to parliament
Furthermore, the suggested Aukus participation is quite modest. It is more about New Zealand maintaining the minimum technological capabilities to remain militarily interoperable with Australia, its closest ally.
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