A senior US official previously hinted that the three-way military pact could soon expand to another member.
New Zealand has signaled willingness to join the AUKUS security pact with the US, UK, and Australia, but only in a non-nuclear capacity, the country’s defense chief says, noting Wellington’s legal and moral commitments to remain nuclear-free.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Defense Minister Andrew Little said New Zealand is interested in becoming the fourth member of AUKUS, hoping to participate in the development of military technology such as AI, quantum computing, and advanced information technology.
“We have been offered the opportunity to talk about whether we could or wish to participate in that pillar two [non-nuclear] aspect of it,” he said, adding “I’ve indicated we will be willing to explore it.”
Little said the New Zealand military may have to upgrade some of its gear to keep up with American and Australian standards if it is to join, namely in the realm of communications, explaining that some of the country’s technology is “increasingly obsolete.”
However, given New Zealand’s “legal obligations and our moral commitment to [being] nuclear-free,” the defense minister said he is “quite satisfied” that any participation in AUKUS would involve conventional weapons only.
“We already work very closely with allies and partners who have nuclear-powered vessels and submarines and nuclear-armed missiles and submarines… It doesn’t change anything that we’re currently doing,” he continued.
Earlier this month, Little met with senior White House national security official Kurt Campbell, after which the US official said he believed there was a chance New Zealand could join the AUKUS pact.
Signed in 2021, the trilateral agreement is centered on facilitating the transfer of nuclear technology from the US to Australia with help from the UK, to be used to build nuclear-powered submarines for Canberra.
However, the pact has also been described by officials as a way to deter China, which has denounced the AUKUS agreement for helping to proliferate nuclear technology around the world, as well as “severely damaging regional peace” and intensifying an “arms race” in the Indo-Pacific.
Yay, I can’t wait to be roped into America’s spat with Russia and/or China 🤦🏼
Let’s paint a giant bullseye on our country for nothing!
Jesus
The first thing we need to do in NZ is get rid of MMP
And stop all the ilk coming in under the radar and entering parliament
Which is what it is designed to do
Contrary to what people were brain washed into accepting and believing
Bring back ‘first past the post’
We want the best
Not the new green deal dregs
Andrew Little – that grim faced little nematode. China is our biggest trading partner. New Zealand people are NOT interested in becoming the fourth member of AUKUS, hoping to participate in the development of military technology such as AI, quantum computing, and advanced information technology. You weren’t ‘offered’ anything Mr Little. You were told by your masters this is the way it will be. You know very well NZ will be paying for every little bit of said US development and it will cost us dearly. This simply means NZ will become a US military base because we sure don’t have the brainpower in the NZ population to develop anything. Anybody who had any brains left long ago.
You have to get this through quickly, you old stoat, because you won’t have a job after this October.
Sign the petition on Parliament’s website titled ‘Make New Zealand a Neutral Nation’.
Was the no nuke thing created as a potential ‘out clause’ for the NZ govt. If so, brilliant move. If the current government are smart, they will use it to stay neutral and keep out of this upcoming BRICs war/s.
I remember my buddy in the military decades ago talking about how Nuclear subs were coming into Akl harbour so the whole premise is a bunch of BS.
REPLAY: (Update in Action) Kiwi Citizens Have Initiated Arrest of Health Minister Andrew Little
https://futurenews.news/watch?id=61fd031aa6bd1b029604bd58
Whatever became of that???
OR- Jabcinda being hauled-up before the ICC on violations of the Nuremburg Code and Human Rights violations?
Where is she now???
& now, Andy Little wants NZ to join the AUKUS…despite petitions and on-line letters collecting signatures that demand New Zealand neutrality!
I don’t know why NZ wants to join AUKUS. Chinese ships will never attack NZ. They know their nuclear weapons are not allowed in our waters our airspace…
NZ doesn’t want to join AUKUS; NZ wants NEUTRALITY so that it doesn’t get involved in wars, proxy, hot, nuclear of bio-chemically speaking
F**king ridiculous! Lets make piddly little NZ a target for world powers….God this Labour govt are a joke and not a funny one…