New Zealand isn't part of AUKUS, so why is it excited about it?

Aug. 16, 2024, 7:09 a.m.

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In September 2021, when Australia, the UK, and the US announced the Aukus trilateral defense pact, then New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stated, “We weren’t consulted, and I wouldn’t expect us to be.”

Interestingly, the same day, the New Zealand government, under the Official Information Act, revealed it was considering its potential role in the defense agreement. Now, three years later, current New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has released a joint statement with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, praising the security treaty.

Advertisement Luxon and Albanese declared on Friday that the Aukus trilateral defense pact would enhance regional security and stability. They also emphasized that the two nations are facing the most challenging strategic environment since World War II.

It is intriguing to observe New Zealand, which is not a participant in the defense pact between the United States, Australia, and the UK, demonstrating such significant interest in it only three years after its prime minister displayed a lack of enthusiasm towards the agreement.

“We share many common values and goals, and it’s unsurprising that we would explore any opportunity to include New Zealand in pillar two,” Albanese mentioned during a media briefing with Luxon.

Scratching the surface

Examining the situation more closely, it appears that New Zealand might have always been interested in the Aukus deal. What prevented its involvement or participation in the initial discussions was its nuclear weapons prohibition policy.

The Aukus agreement was initially announced with the primary goal of providing Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, driven by the escalating security concerns in the Pacific region. This move came amidst rapidly deteriorating China-Australia relations, particularly after Canberra initiated an investigation into the origins of Covid-19, a global demand that Beijing strongly opposed. The resulting tensions significantly impacted their economic and trade ties, leading to mutual accusations and blame. Australia, in response to China's increasing assertiveness, re-evaluated its security strategies and committed to bolstering its defense spending.

Amidst these escalating security concerns, New Zealand couldn't remain oblivious to the potential of aligning with major Western powers to enhance its own position. The Aukus treaty itself presented an opportunity that New Zealand sought to explore - specifically the "pillar two" provision.

What’s “pillar two”?

The first pillar of the Aukus agreement encompasses the provision of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. However, the "pillar two" represents a separate provision that facilitates the sharing of non-nuclear technology and infrastructure.

This consideration emerged in March 2023, two years after the initial announcement of the Aukus deal. Months later, in October 2023, New Zealand signaled its openness to joining or at least leaving the door open for a broader Aukus agreement. "Pillar two", in essence, serves as a distinct technology-sharing arrangement meticulously designed to ensure the non-nuclear nature of military collaborations.

In October 2023, the New Zealand government briefed its ministers on the Aukus deal, highlighting "significant opportunities for future cooperation beyond the submarines, particularly in the areas of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence."

What now?

Responding to New Zealand's stance, the United States has indicated openness to New Zealand's involvement in Aukus. These developments follow a statement by the US State Department asserting that Aukus members now have comparable export control regimes, a critical step necessary to facilitate technology sharing within the framework of the agreement, as reported by Reuters.

New Zealand says that it is happy with formal security ties with Australia and ready to collaborate with the Aukus within the defence framework of its immediate neighbour. Luxon said, “Our intention is to say we want to be fully interoperable with Australia’s defence forces."

Australia and New Zealand entered into an agreement last year aimed at enhancing the capabilities and preparedness of military personnel. This agreement comes amidst Australia’s increasing involvement in the broader security landscape of the Pacific, specifically in the South China Sea, aligning with the West to counter China's efforts to claim the entire sea, which is an international waterway.

Australia is already a participant in the Quad, a security dialogue group that also includes the US, India, and Japan. The Quad is scheduled to conduct a joint military exercise in the South China Sea later this year.

With Australia's heightened geo-strategic engagement, New Zealand stands to benefit significantly through its own arrangement with entities like Aukus, particularly in addressing cyber intrusions and accessing advanced security technology. These moves also strengthen New Zealand's position to meet any challenges that may arise to its territorial integrity.

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