Christopher Luxon, the prime minister of New Zealand, is visiting India from March 16-20 at the invitation of his counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Timely as it is, the visit marks a pivotal moment in the evolving bilateral relationship between the two Indo-Pacific democracies. Historically underemphasized, Delhi-Wellington engagement is nowContinue Reading
The aftermath of one of the most undiplomatic – and notorious – White House meetings in recent history reveals a changed world. Having berated Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for supposedly not wanting peace with Russia and failing to show sufficient gratitude to the United States, President Donald Trump has nowContinue Reading
From cautious concern to doomsday predictions, the U.S.-China Security and Review Commission (USCC) heard testimony on February 20 that broadly addressed one question: Is China a partner in an “Axis of Autocracy,” alongside the other major autocratic countries of Iran, North Korea, and Russia? Interestingly, the scope of the Commission’sContinue Reading
New Zealand has become the latest country to sign a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam, with the two nations pledging to boost engagement across a range of sectors. The diplomatic upgrade was announced in Hanoi late yesterday by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his New Zealand counterpart ChristopherContinue Reading
Over two days last week, Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Naval Task Group 107 launched live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea without any warning to the Australian or New Zealand governments. The exercises were directly under the flight path of one of the busiest routes across the Tasman, aContinue Reading
SYDNEY: A Virgin Australia pilot alerted Australian authorities about a live-fire drill by Chinese naval ships last week in the Tasman Sea that forced 49 flights to change their paths, Australia’s air traffic control agency head told a parliamentary committee. Airlines including Qantas, Emirates, Air New Zealand and Virgin AustraliaContinue Reading
SYDNEY: A New Zealand government minister said on Monday (Feb 24) he has resigned from his post for putting his hand on a staff member’s upper arm during an “animated” discussion. The country’s minister for commerce and consumer affairs, Andrew Bayly, told reporters his behaviour towards the staff member hadContinue Reading
In recent days, the Chinese Navy conducted two live-fire military exercises in waters near Australia and New Zealand, sparking concern in both countries. The Albanese government lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing. China responded by saying it was “deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied” by Australia’s response. The presence of theContinue Reading
Last week the Cook Island government’s plan to upgrade its strategic relationship with the People’s Republic of China made global headlines. The deal will open the way for dual-use infrastructure facilities in the Cook Islands. The new deal has implications for Pacific security, but particularly for New Zealand, the UnitedContinue Reading
New Zealand’s announced review of its development aid to Kiribati after a diplomatic rift between the two countries should sound alarm bells in Washington. By highlighting Kiribati’s turn away from the West, Wellington has both exposed the problem and introduced new opportunities for China to deepen its economic and politicalContinue Reading
