The United States has opened the door of the Aukus Defense Pact to New Zealand and other partners. On Thursday July 27, Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, raised the possibility of Wellington taking part in the deal, paving the way for cooperation that could irritate China.
“The door is open for New Zealand and other partners to engage as they see fit,” said Antony Blinken in Wellington, who envisions cooperation on the non-nuclear aspects of this agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says New Zealand is “open to conversations” about a possible role in the Aukus alliance, as long as it’s not related to submarine development nuclear powered. New Zealand formally and legally declared itself a nuclear-free territory in the mid-1980s.
Instead, officials appear to be considering cooperation on defense technologies such as cybernetics, artificial intelligence and hypersonic weapons, which fall under the “second pillar” of the Aukus agreement.
Wellington and Canberra are Washington’s main allies in the South Pacific. But New Zealand has recently been accused of putting its trade relations with China ahead of its friendships with the Five Eyes intelligence collaboration network, which includes the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia. .
Beijing has fiercely opposed Aukus, describing the pact as destabilizing for the region.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said “nothing has been decided yet” about Aukus and that her cabinet should consider any proposals before a deal is reached.
