New Zealand Defence Ministry Warns of Growingly Complicated Threats Faced by Pacific Nations
The Defence Ministry is alerting that the international rules-based system is increasingly being disregarded by some states, posing a higher threat level for the Pacific.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Defence has cautioned in its latest Statement of Intent about the country facing “escalating and compounded” threats to its national security.
In a direct assessment of the current scenario, the Ministry has warned about facing “increasingly complex and challenging threats to its security.
“These challenges are also being experienced by Australia, the Pacific, and other states that share our interests.
“The use, and potential use, of military force is increasingly shaping states’ interactions. We are facing an elevated risk of conflict directly impacting New Zealand’s national security.”
New Zealand and its allies have historically relied on an international rules-based system “aligned with our values and supporting our interests,” the Ministry stated.
This has contributed to stability and facilitated collective action on various issues.
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Nonetheless, over recent years, increasing strategic competition has questioned the effectiveness of this system.
“Some states are acting in ways contrary to established international rules and norms, promoting competing visions for regional and global orders that clash with New Zealand’s values and interests,” the report warns.
NZ Army’s 1BDE soldiers tested their combat skills in the Waiouru Training Area during Exercise Valkyrie Rising, a large-scale training exercise based around a surprise conflict scenario. Courtesy NZ Defence Force.
It specifically identifies Beijing as a significant threat, stating, “China’s assertive pursuit of its strategic objectives is the primary driver behind the new era of strategic competition among states, globally and particularly in the Indo-Pacific.”
Moreover, it flags climate change as a threat, deeming it “a top global challenge directly impacting national and regional security, and exacerbating strategic competition and other security threats.
The Ministry indicates that the government expects it to “contribute to global security and reinforce the existing international rules-based system.”
It anticipates that the Defence Force will need to be deployed more frequently and in a wider variety of environments.
“Given the strategic outlook facing New Zealand, the Defence Force will be increasingly called upon, and personnel must be prepared and trained for various operations,” it notes.
Addressing an event organized by Diplosphere in Wellington this morning, Minister of Defence Judith Collins used the analogy: “When two elephants fight, little ants can get squashed.”
She also mentioned that “China is a very good friend to us, with significant cooperation in science, economics, and particularly climate change. We also have a strong ally in the United States, so we are cautious in our actions, statements, and operations. But we are also vigilant.”
The minister revealed the new chiefs of the Navy, Army, and Air Force: Commodore Garin Golding, Brigadier Rose King, and Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb, respectively. King is the first woman to be appointed Chief of the Army.
