On Wednesday, New Zealand’s defence forces warned of the growing threat posed by a China that is assertively pursuing its interests in the Indo-Pacific region.
Strategic competition between China, New Zealand’s biggest trading partner, the United States, and other global powerhouses will also increase the likelihood of confrontation and conflict in the region, a 2021 defence assessment report warned.
“New Zealand faces a world in which strategic competition is increasingly the background for states’ relationships,” the report said, adding that China’s rise was the major driver of such competition.
Reports predicted the setting up of military bases and dual-use facilities in the Pacific by states that did not share New Zealand’s values and security interests would be among the biggest possible threats to the country.
The report added that New Zealand has publicly expressed its concerns over developments such as the building and militarization of coastal features in the South China Sea.
