NZ Prime Minister says Pacific region more contested

New Zealand Prime Minister
Chris Hipkins said on Monday that the Pacific region is becoming
more contested, less predictable, and less secure as China
becomes more assertive.
“China’s rise and how it seeks to exert that influence is
also a major driver of the increasing strategic competition,
particularly in our wider home region, the Indo-Pacific,”
Hipkins said in a speech to the China Business Summit.
Hipkins added that it is important that we continue to
engage with China – to listen and to build dialogue, to pursue
New Zealand’s interests, and to add a voice where it matters.
Wellington has historically taken a more conciliatory
approach towards China than Australia or its other Five Eyes
security partners, Canada, the United States and the United
Kingdom.
But in recent years, New Zealand has become increasingly
vocal on issues including human rights, the international rules
based order and potential militarization of the Pacific.
Hipkins said a small country like New Zealand cannot work
alone, and the government recognises the importance of building
partnerships and inclusivity to address global challenges.
That New Zealand’s approach will often align with that of
our most likeminded partners, with whom we share many common
interests and values, should not be a surprise, he added.
“Common interests and concerns do not mean we will always
take the same approach. Sometimes there is tactical strength in
a diversity of approaches to achieve the same outcomes,” he
said.