On Saturday, August 9, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held their annual meeting in Queenstown, New Zealand, where they both warned that the current international situation has plunged into one of the most dangerous moments in decades. They emphasized the need for Australia and New Zealand to strengthen defense cooperation to address the geopolitical challenges posed by China.
Albanese and Luxon discussed China’s unexpected naval exercises conducted twice in February between Australia and New Zealand in the Tasman Sea. Following this incident, they pledged to enhance defense cooperation, improve military interoperability, and establish closer partnerships in security and trade sectors to tackle the increasingly severe geopolitical challenges presented by China.
Both leaders expressed concerns about the increasingly complex and challenging geopolitical environment, stating that the international situation is becoming more competitive and unstable. They highlighted that the cooperation between Australia and New Zealand aims to enhance their ability to maintain shared security, deter malicious activities, and respond decisively with force when necessary.
The joint statement also underscored the escalating threats such as foreign interference, espionage, economic coercion, malicious cyber attacks, and transnational crimes directed towards Australia and New Zealand. China’s naval exercises in the Tasman Sea in February led to multiple commercial flights diverting their routes.
The rare southward naval voyage by the Chinese Navy was seen by experts as a sign of China’s expanding military influence. During his state visit to Beijing in July, Albanese raised concerns with Xi Jinping about the lack of prior notification regarding the live-fire exercises. Xi Jinping responded by mentioning Australia’s similar actions in the South China Sea during freedom of navigation operations.
In terms of trade, Australia and New Zealand will enhance their cooperation, aligning their trade standards and actively promoting reforms within the World Trade Organization (WTO). They believe that the WTO needs to readjust its position by establishing new rules and strengthening multilateral dispute resolution mechanisms to effectively address current and future trade challenges and safeguard the global trade order.
Luxon expressed New Zealand’s desire to establish closer military cooperation with Australia, referring to Australia as New Zealand’s “sole ally.” He stated, “We have always valued our collaborative combat capabilities with Australia, aiming to be force multipliers for each other.” He further added, “We aim to build an indispensable AusNZ joint force in the region.”
The concept of the “AusNZ joint force” originates from World War I when Australian and New Zealand soldiers first formed a joint army, which symbolized the cooperation tradition between the two countries’ military forces.
Luxon announced in April this year plans to enhance New Zealand Defense Force’s combat capabilities, increasing defense spending to over 2% of the GDP, nearly doubling the expenditure levels of the past 20 years. Japan is actively deepening its strategic ties in the South Pacific, with Japanese warships making their first port call in nearly 90 years in New Zealand on August 8. Additionally, Japan and Australia announced a contract worth approximately $6.5 billion for the construction of 11 escort vessels by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Australia’s largest defense expansion project is the submarine agreement signed with the United States and the United Kingdom, with an estimated cost of up to $245 billion. Under the trilateral AUKUS security partnership agreement, Australia will equip 8 submarines powered by American nuclear technology.
Former U.S. President Trump has also urged Western countries to increase defense spending and reduce reliance on U.S. security.
In response, Australian Prime Minister Albanese stated on Saturday, August 9, “If there is a need to increase defense spending, we will increase it.”
(Reference: Bloomberg and AP reports)