US secretary of state Antony Blinken discusses New Zealand's possible participation in AUKUS defense agreement, raising concerns from China

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke about the possibility of New Zealand and other partners joining the AUKUS defense agreement, paving the way for cooperation that could provoke China's anger.

During his visit to Wellington, Blinken stated that "the door is open for New Zealand and other partners to participate as they see fit" in this agreement signed between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

New Zealand's Prime Minister, Chris Hipkins, confirmed on Wednesday that his country is "open to discussions" about playing a potential role in the AUKUS alliance, provided it is not linked to the development of nuclear-powered submarines.

New Zealand formally declared itself a nuclear-free zone in the mid-1980s.

Instead, officials appear to be considering collaboration in defense technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous control, and hypersonic weapons, which are considered the "second pillar" of the AUKUS agreement.

Wellington and Canberra are the primary allies of Washington in the South Pacific. However, New Zealand has recently faced accusations of prioritizing its trade relations with China over its friendships with the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, which also includes the United States, Britain, Canada, and Australia.

Beijing strongly opposes the AUKUS agreement, describing it as destabilizing for the region.

New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, stated that "nothing has been decided yet" regarding AUKUS, and her government will have to consider any proposal before reaching an agreement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP