New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters today condemned China's drive to increase its security presence in the Pacific islands, warning for actions that could "destabilize" or weaken regional security, reported France Press, quoted by BTA.
"China has a long-standing presence in the Pacific, but we are seriously concerned about its increased engagement in areas of Pacific security," Peters said in a speech on relations with China, in which he made a rare criticism of the country's biggest trading partner. New Zealand.
China got a number of Pacific island nations to drop diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in favor of Beijing and struck a security pact with the Solomon Islands in 2022, the contents of which have remained under wraps.
Chinese police, research and warships are increasingly present in the region, sparking a struggle for influence with the US and fears that the Asia-Pacific region, a battleground during World War II, is once again turning into an arena of struggle between world powers.
"We do not want to see developments that destabilize the institutions and agreements that have long supported security in our region," Peters said at a meeting of the New Zealand-China Council in Auckland.
China is New Zealand's largest export market and a major customer for its dairy products, meat and other goods.
Wellington has long been one of Beijing's closest partners among Western democracies.
However, relations between the two countries have soured in recent years as China seeks to expand its military and diplomatic power over parts of the Pacific Ocean and beyond, according to AFP.
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Source: www.bta.bg