NZ Navigates Between China and the West in a New Era

As New Zealand deepens its ties with Western powers like Australia, the U.S., and other Five Eyes partners, Prime Minister Chris Luxon has acknowledged the challenges of maintaining a balanced relationship with China, New Zealand’s largest trading partner. “China remains New Zealand’s biggest trading partner and a country of undoubted influence, and a country with which we want to work to find solutions to shared challenges,” he said at the Lowy Institute on Aug. 15. However, he notes that differences mean there are issues where the two countries cannot align. Luxon referenced the government’s decision to publicly name a Chinese state-backed entity responsible for a cyber-attack on the New Zealand Parliament....