{"id":684899,"date":"2022-06-04T03:19:21","date_gmt":"2022-06-04T03:19:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/asiapacificreport.nz\/?p=74882"},"modified":"2022-06-04T03:19:21","modified_gmt":"2022-06-04T03:19:21","slug":"to-meet-the-chinese-challenge-in-the-pacific-nz-needs-to-put-its-money-where-its-mouth-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2022\/06\/04\/to-meet-the-chinese-challenge-in-the-pacific-nz-needs-to-put-its-money-where-its-mouth-is\/","title":{"rendered":"To meet the Chinese challenge in the Pacific, NZ needs to put its money where its mouth is"},"content":{"rendered":"
ANALYSIS:<\/strong> By Alexander Gillespie<\/a>, University of Waikato<\/a><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n This week\u2019s White House meeting between NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and US President Joe Biden reflected a world undergoing rapid change. But of all the shared challenges discussed, there was one that kept appearing in the leaders\u2019 joint statement<\/a> — China in the Pacific.<\/p>\n Tucked within the statement, with all its promises of increased co-operation and partnership, was this not-so-subtle declaration:<\/p>\n In particular, the United States and New Zealand share a concern that the establishment of a persistent military presence in the Pacific by a state that does not share our values or security interests would fundamentally alter the strategic balance of the region and pose national-security concerns to both our countries.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Unsurprisingly, this upset Chinese officials<\/a>, with a foreign ministry spokesperson accusing Ardern and Biden of trying to \u201cdeliberately hype up\u201d the issue.<\/p>\n But hopefully the statement will also prompt New Zealand to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to increasing assistance in the Pacific region. Expressing \u201cconcern\u201d about China\u2019s influence means little otherwise.<\/p>\n\n