Small island nation joins the big game.

By beginning negotiations with the UK and Australia on replacing its current naval fleet, New Zealand is not only concretely implementing its naval modernization policy from late last year, but has also chosen these two countries as partners for cooperation.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon

Photo: Reuters

This decision has enormous and long-term strategic implications for New Zealand. Despite being a small island nation, New Zealand possesses the fourth largest exclusive economic zone in the world. To date, the New Zealand navy has only had the practical capacity to maintain a presence and patrol, even though the island nation is a member of the Five Eyes group.

The Indo-Pacific region is dynamic in many aspects, particularly in terms of political security, military cooperation, and bilateral and multilateral defense and security.

Increasingly, external partners are seeking to build and strengthen their direct military presence and political and security roles in the region. Many countries in the region are investing heavily to rapidly enhance their naval capabilities and build networks of military, defense, and security cooperation.

New Zealand wanted to participate in this major geopolitical game to build its position, while also leveraging it to protect its sovereignty and security. The UK and Australia were chosen as partners because Australia is a close neighbor of New Zealand and because these two partners, along with the US, have formed a trilateral security alliance (AUKUS).

New Zealand aims to establish a foothold both inside and outside AUKUS, maximizing its benefits to gain greater naval power and a wider operational range. In this region, even smaller partners can now have a significant impact on the regional landscape.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dao-quoc-nho-tham-gia-cuoc-choi-lon-185260507201435818.htm