New Zealand wants a diluted membership of Aukus

Wellington: New Zealand is considering joining Australia, the UK and the US in the Aukus security pact, but only in a non-nuclear capacity.

Defence Minister of New Zealand Andrew Little, on Tuesday, said his country is interested in becoming the fourth member of AUKUS and hoping to participate in the development of military technology including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and advanced information technology.

‘Willing to explore’

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“We have been offered the opportunity to talk about whether we could or wish to participate in that pillar two [non-nuclear] aspect of it,” Andrew said.

“I’ve indicated we will be willing to explore it,” the New Zealand defence minister said.

Nuclear-free commitment

Aukus has three pillars – nuclear-powered submarines, computer and cybertechnology, hypersonic and counter-hypersonic. New Zealand has been offered chance to join the second and third pillars.

The country has not been offered the chance to join the first pillar – nuclear-powered submarine – and the country would not have accepted it either.

The New Zealand minister said any Aukus membership “could not compromise our legal obligations and our moral commitment to nuclear-free”.

“[Aukus membership] would be about the kind of technology… needed to protect defence personnel. Usually domain awareness, so surveillance technology, and radio technology that allows us to do that, he said.

Need to upgrade military

Andrew stressed upon the need to upgrade New Zealand military to match up to the American and Australian standards if it joins Aukus, especially in the realm of communications. He also highlighted that some of the technology of his country is “increasingly obsolete”.

The minister said New Zealand’s participation in Aukus would involve conventional weapons only as the country has “legal obligations and moral commitment to [being] nuclear-free.”

“We already work very closely with allies and partners who have nuclear-powered vessels and submarines and nuclear-armed missiles and submarines… It doesn’t change anything that we’re currently doing,” he added.

New Zealand’s concerns about Aukus

New Zealand has some concerns about Aukus, including that the pact may jeopardise the treaty of Rarotonga, which designates large areas of the Pacific free of nuclear weapons.

“Our concern is not to see the militarisation of the Pacific, that the treaty of Rarotonga be upheld, and that’s the basis upon which our assurances from Australia have been gained in relation to those arrangements,” New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, said during her visit to China last week. China is strongly opposed Aukus, with foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin outlining China’s “severe concern and firm opposition”.