Latest news with #ChinaInfluence
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Prime Minister in Papa New Guinea to mark 50 years
Pacific politics about 1 hour ago While our foreign minister was a no show for the Cooks Islands celebrations, the Prime Minister has been in Papua New Guinea to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties there. Christopher Luxon spoke to parliament today, before getting a live mortar firing demonstration this afternoon. But it all comes against the backdrop of China's growing influence in the Pacific region. Political Reporter Russell Palmer has been travelling with the Prime Minister and spoke to Lisa Owen.
Times of Oman
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
FBI opens new office in Wellington to bolster joint efforts between the United States and New Zealand
Wellington: The FBI has officially opened a standalone office in New Zealand's capital, Wellington, aiming to bolster joint efforts between the United States and New Zealand to counter China's expanding influence in the Pacific region, FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday, according to the Taipei Times. Patel, who spent several days in Wellington meeting with senior New Zealand government ministers, intelligence chiefs, and law enforcement officials, emphasised that the new dedicated FBI attache office will deepen Washington's longstanding cooperation with one of its key partners in the southwestern Pacific. In a statement released by the US embassy in Wellington, Patel said, "Some of the most important global issues of our times are the ones that New Zealand and America work on together, countering the CCP [Communist Party of China] in the INDOPACOM [US Indo-Pacific Command] theater, countering the narcotics trade, working together against cyber intrusions and ransomware operations and most importantly protecting our respective citizenry," as reported by the Taipei Times. The FBI has maintained a suboffice in New Zealand since 2017, with both countries collaborating closely on issues such as child exploitation and organised crime. The expanded office reflects growing concerns about China's increasing strategic presence in the Pacific, a region crucial to global security. New Zealand and the United States are both members of the "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing alliance, which also includes Australia, Canada, and the UK. Patel acknowledged the critical role of this partnership, stating, "The FBI cannot do it alone; we need all of them to get after the fight and put the mission first," the Taipei Times reported. New Zealand's Minister of Defence, Judith Collins and Minister of Police Mark Mitchell welcomed the establishment of the new FBI office, highlighting its importance for enhancing the safety and security of New Zealanders. The US embassy further noted that the office will also oversee FBI partnerships in nearby regions, including Antarctica, Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands, and Tonga, reinforcing the United States' commitment to countering Chinese influence across the Pacific, the Taipei Times reported.
The Independent
01-08-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
FBI director says a new office in New Zealand will counter China's sway, provoking Beijing's ire
FBI Director Kash Patel provoked diplomatic discomfort in New Zealand by suggesting the opening of a new office in the capital aims to counter China's influence, drawing polite dismissals from Wellington and ire from Beijing. Patel was in Wellington on Thursday to open the FBI's first standalone office in New Zealand and to meet senior officials. The arrangement aligns New Zealand with FBI missions in other Five Eyes intelligence-sharing nations, which also include the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. The Wellington office will provide a local mission for FBI staff who have operated with oversight from Canberra, Australia, since 2017. Patel's China remarks prompted awkward responses In remarks made in a video published Thursday by the U.S. Embassy, Patel said the office would help counter Chinese Communist Party influence in the contested South Pacific Ocean. New Zealand ministers who met Patel, the highest-ranking Trump administration official to visit New Zealand, quietly dismissed his claims. A government statement Thursday emphasized joint efforts against crimes such as online child exploitation and drug smuggling, with no mention of China. 'When we were talking, we never raised that issue,' Foreign Minister Winston said Thursday. Judith Collins, minister for the security services, said the focus would be on transnational crime. 'I don't respond to other people's press releases,' she said when reporters noted Patel had mentioned China, Radio New Zealand reported. Trade Minister Todd McClay rejected a reporter's suggestion Friday that Wellington had 'celebrated' the office opening. 'Well, I don't think it was celebrated yesterday,' he said. 'I think there was an announcement and it was discussed.' Beijing decries the FBI chief's comments At a briefing Friday, Beijing's foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun denounced Patel's remarks 'China believes that cooperation between countries should not target any third party,' he said. 'Seeking so-called absolute security through forming small groupings under the banner of countering China does not help keep the Asia Pacific and the world at large peaceful and stable.' New Zealand, the smallest Five Eyes partner, has faced ongoing pressure to align with U.S. stances on China, its largest trading partner, while carefully balancing relations with Beijing. Analysts said the FBI chief's comments could vex those efforts, although New Zealand has faced such challenges before. 'It's in New Zealand's interest to have more law enforcement activities to deal with our shared problems,' said Jason Young, associate professor of international relations at Victoria University of Wellington. 'It's perhaps not in New Zealand's interest to say we're doing this to compete with China.' The FBI expansion comes during fresh Pacific focus Patel's visit came as the Trump administration has sought to raise global alarm about Beijing's designs. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in June said China posed an imminent threat and urged Indo-Pacific countries to increase military spending to 5% of GDP. New Zealand has traditionally avoided singling out individual countries when discussing regional tensions, Young said. 'I'm sure the U.S. would like New Zealand to speak more forthrightly and characterize the China challenge in a similar way to the United States,' Young added. New Zealand is a remote country of 5 million people that was once assumed by larger powers to be of little strategic importance. But its location and influence in the contested South Pacific Ocean, where Beijing has sought to woo smaller island nations over the past decade, has increased its appeal to countries like the U.S. Peters, the foreign minister, told The Associated Press in 2024 that U.S. neglect of the region until recent years had in part been responsible for China's burgeoning influence there. He urged U.S. officials to 'please get engaged and try to turn up." New office provokes anger among New Zealanders Not everyone welcomed the expanded FBI presence. Online, the new office drew rancor from New Zealanders who posted thousands of overwhelmingly negative comments about the announcement on social media sites. A weekend protest against the opening was planned. Young said it was unlikely people posting in anger took issue with cross-border law enforcement efforts in general. 'I think it would be more a reflection of some of the deep unease that many people in New Zealand see with some of the political choices that are being made in America at the moment,' he said.
Associated Press
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
FBI director says a new office in New Zealand will counter China's sway, provoking Beijing's ire
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — FBI Director Kash Patel provoked diplomatic discomfort in New Zealand by suggesting the opening of a new office in the capital aims to counter China's influence, drawing polite dismissals from Wellington and ire from Beijing. Patel was in Wellington on Thursday to open the FBI's first standalone office in New Zealand and to meet senior officials. The arrangement aligns New Zealand with FBI missions in other Five Eyes intelligence-sharing nations, which also include the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. The Wellington office will provide a local mission for FBI staff who have operated with oversight from Canberra, Australia, since 2017. Patel's China remarks prompted awkward responses In remarks made in a video published Thursday by the U.S. Embassy, Patel said the office would help counter Chinese Communist Party influence in the contested South Pacific Ocean. New Zealand ministers who met Patel, the highest-ranking Trump administration official to visit New Zealand, quietly dismissed his claims. A government statement Thursday emphasized joint efforts against crimes such as online child exploitation and drug smuggling, with no mention of China. 'When we were talking, we never raised that issue,' Foreign Minister Winston said Thursday. Judith Collins, minister for the security services, said the focus would be on transnational crime. 'I don't respond to other people's press releases,' she said when reporters noted Patel had mentioned China, Radio New Zealand reported. Trade Minister Todd McClay rejected a reporter's suggestion Friday that Wellington had 'celebrated' the office opening. 'Well, I don't think it was celebrated yesterday,' he said. 'I think there was an announcement and it was discussed.' Beijing decries the FBI chief's comments At a briefing Friday, Beijing's foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun denounced Patel's remarks 'China believes that cooperation between countries should not target any third party,' he said. 'Seeking so-called absolute security through forming small groupings under the banner of countering China does not help keep the Asia Pacific and the world at large peaceful and stable.' New Zealand, the smallest Five Eyes partner, has faced ongoing pressure to align with U.S. stances on China, its largest trading partner, while carefully balancing relations with Beijing. Analysts said the FBI chief's comments could vex those efforts, although New Zealand has faced such challenges before. 'It's in New Zealand's interest to have more law enforcement activities to deal with our shared problems,' said Jason Young, associate professor of international relations at Victoria University of Wellington. 'It's perhaps not in New Zealand's interest to say we're doing this to compete with China.' The FBI expansion comes during fresh Pacific focus Patel's visit came as the Trump administration has sought to raise global alarm about Beijing's designs. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in June said China posed an imminent threat and urged Indo-Pacific countries to increase military spending to 5% of GDP. New Zealand has traditionally avoided singling out individual countries when discussing regional tensions, Young said. 'I'm sure the U.S. would like New Zealand to speak more forthrightly and characterize the China challenge in a similar way to the United States,' Young added. New Zealand is a remote country of 5 million people that was once assumed by larger powers to be of little strategic importance. But its location and influence in the contested South Pacific Ocean, where Beijing has sought to woo smaller island nations over the past decade, has increased its appeal to countries like the U.S. Peters, the foreign minister, told The Associated Press in 2024 that U.S. neglect of the region until recent years had in part been responsible for China's burgeoning influence there. He urged U.S. officials to 'please get engaged and try to turn up.' New office provokes anger among New Zealanders Not everyone welcomed the expanded FBI presence. Online, the new office drew rancor from New Zealanders who posted thousands of overwhelmingly negative comments about the announcement on social media sites. A weekend protest against the opening was planned. Young said it was unlikely people posting in anger took issue with cross-border law enforcement efforts in general. 'I think it would be more a reflection of some of the deep unease that many people in New Zealand see with some of the political choices that are being made in America at the moment,' he said.
Times of Oman
31-07-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
Australia, India, Japan, US declare economic war on rare earth empire
Washington, DC: Foreign ministers from the Quad nations- Australia, India, Japan, and the United States- convened in Washington earlier this month and unveiled a robust strategy designed to counteract China's influence in the Indo-Pacific, as reported by The Japan Times earlier this month. The leaders launched the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, explicitly targeting China's monopolistic dominance of rare earths and critical materials vital to defence and high-tech industries. The joint statement affirmed their determination "to uphold a region free from coercion" and oppose "any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion". In language thinly veiled yet unmistakably directed at Beijing, the Quad ministers expressed "deep concern" about the reliability of supply chains dependent on a single actor and criticised China's economic pressure tactics, price manipulation, and threat to critical infrastructure security. At the summit hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Quad countries committed to diversifying their sources of lithium, nickel, graphite, and other strategic minerals. Rubio emphasised that resilience in supply chains is essential to safeguard against Beijing's ability to weaponise trade flows, reinforcing the need for allied cooperation to break free from China's industrial grip. Analysts see this move as part of a broader strategy to economically sideline China. The Japan Times in its article on July 2 noted that the initiative is "an ambitious expansion" of the Quad's partnership and a clear attempt to undercut Beijing's regional leverage. China's dominance in critical mineral processing has raised alarms about future industrial disruption and geopolitical manipulation. Strategic voices within and outside of the group warn against complacency. Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, speaking at a US congressional hearing, recalled Beijing's retaliatory trade sanctions against Australia and urged deeper coordination with Quad partners to counter Chinese economic coercion. Likewise, former US ambassador Rahm Emanuel advocated for a NATO-style "anti-coercion coalition" pooling diplomatic and economic power to deter Beijing's global bullying. China's muted response to the Quad communique marks a notable departure from its past alarm, leading analysts to suggest that Beijing may be quietly assessing its options as its dominance over rare earth markets comes under strain. Beyond critical minerals, the Quad summit addressed broader challenges: increasing military assertiveness in the East and South China Seas, cyber threats, and North Korea's destabilising activity. All ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to peaceful conflict resolution and rule-of-law principles in the region. While still informal, the Quad's evolving cohesion signals a significant shift in the Indo-Pacific security architecture. As The Japan Times reports, its bold new initiative sends a clear message: regional democracies will not tolerate Beijing's attempts at economic subjugation and geopolitical coercion. (
