New Zealand’s foreign minister, Winston Peters, has expressed concerns over China’s recent live-fire drills in the Tasman Sea during a meeting with Chinese leaders in Beijing. The issue of lack of notice given to New Zealand over the military exercises off its coast is a major concern for Peters.
Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Vice President Han Zheng on Wednesday, where he discussed the need for earlier notice on naval drills. He stated that this is a failure in their special relationship at this time and expressed his desire to see it corrected in the future.
The issue of China’s missile launch test last September, which landed near French Polynesia’s exclusive economic zone without prior warning, was also brought up by Peters. New Zealand received little warning for this incident, while most Pacific Island nations got no warning at all.
Peters has voiced concerns over the Cook Islands’ signing of comprehensive strategic partnership and other agreements with China without consulting New Zealand. He emphasized the need for China to understand the constitutional arrangement between New Zealand and the Cook Islands.
Wang responded by stating that China respects traditional relations between New Zealand and Pacific island countries, including the Cook Islands. The two diplomats also discussed trade and economic issues, including cooperation on new growth engines such as artificial intelligence and green economy.
New Zealand’s trade with China is significant, with around a quarter of all exports going to the country in 2024. However, Peters’ concerns over China’s military drills and agreements with Pacific island nations highlight the need for greater transparency and cooperation between the two countries.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/new-zealands-foreign-minister-raises-concerns-over-chinas-tasman-sea-drills-2025-02-26