‘Wrong path’: China warns New Zealand over Aukus security cooperation

Chinese defence ministry says Wellington risks harming its interests by engaging trilateral partnership

Australia gives a background briefing to New Zealand about collaboration on emerging technology

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Aukus is an alliance between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Photo: Reuters

Liu Zhen

Published: 8:59pm, 29 Feb 2024Updated: 8:59pm, 29 Feb 2024

China has urged New Zealand not to “harm its own security interests” after Wellington said it had engaged the Aukus security partnership about cooperation on cyberwar, AI and hypersonic weapons.

Chinese defence ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said on Thursday that Aukus was established for “selfish geopolitical interests” that “undermined the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and triggered arms races” in the region.

“We urge the parties … to refrain from going further and further down the wrong and dangerous path, and refrain from sabotaging international and regional peace and stability to the detriment of their own security interests,” Zhang said.

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A day earlier Australian officials gave their New Zealand counterparts a “background briefing” on “Pillar II” of the trilateral security pact with the United States and the United Kingdom, according to the New Zealand Ministry of Defence.

Pillar I is the transfer of nuclear-powered submarines and technology to Australia while Pillar II is collaboration on emerging technology.

The meeting was “not intended to address the issue of New Zealand joining Pillar II”, and there was “not yet a time frame on when Pillar II might be opened to others”, the New Zealand ministry said.

Nevertheless, China expressed its “strong concerns” and objections against the Aukus partnership and its potential expansion in the Indo-Pacific.

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‘Wrong path’: China warns New Zealand over Aukus security cooperation

Chinese defence ministry says Wellington risks harming its interests by engaging trilateral partnership Australia gives a background briefing to New Zealand about collaboration on emerging technology

Chinese defence ministry says Wellington risks harming its interests by engaging trilateral partnership

Australia gives a background briefing to New Zealand about collaboration on emerging technology