Chinese ambassador warns New Zealand of negative consequences of participation in AUKUS

Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong said that if New Zealand joins the AUKUS security group, which includes Australia, Britain and the United States, it will "inevitably" have negative consequences for the country's relations with China. This was reported by Reuters on November 26.

It is specified that in a wide-ranging interview with New Zealand's state radio, Wang said he hoped that in deciding whether to join the grouping, New Zealand would "take into account its own long-term interests, the potential implications for regional security and the impact on relations between China and New Zealand."

The agency recalled that New Zealand had previously said that it was "gathering information" about future cooperation with the AUKUS grouping, but had not made any commitments.

Earlier, on August 15, political scientist Pavel Feldman in a conversation with Izvestia pointed out that the US is trying to create a so-called NATO analog in the Asia-Pacific region. He believes that the U.S. is losing interest in its Western allies and is more eagerly engaging in actions in Asia to prevent China's rise.

In recent months, the U.S. has been conducting regular military exercises with some APAC countries. In July, the U.S. conducted Orient Shield exercises with Japan off the coast of Hokkaido Island and Russia's borders. Against this background, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed a strong protest to Tokyo. The day after the end of the exercise, July 28, the same states began another one - Resolute Dragon.

AUKUS is a two-stage defense pact concluded in 2021 by the United States, Britain and Australia as part of efforts to counter China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.