Why are we allowing America to encroach into our Realm while complaining about China?
As the United States pushes for deeper defence ties and influence across the Pacific, questions are mounting over why New Zealand is enabling American expansion within its own Realm while simultaneously warning about China’s growing presence in the region.
This…
US defence ambitions in the Pacific are accelerating
US President Donald Trump’s pick for New Zealand Ambassador says his priority in Wellington will be “expanding our defence partnership”, while he’s made his interest clear in the critical minerals found in the seabed around the Cook Islands.
During a hearing before the US Senate foreign relations committee, Jared Novelly said New Zealand was more aware than most of the “darkening security environment in the Pacific”, which he in part attributed to China.
Novelly, a sports business tycoon known for his ownership of the Australian National Basketball League team the Illawarra Hawks, was first selected by Trump early last year.
But his nomination hadn’t progressed to a confirmation hearing until last Friday.
In his opening remarks, Novelly said he would work “tirelessly to advance President Trump’s and Secretary [Marco] Rubio’s foreign policies”.
NZME
…and this…
The ‘Pacific Charter’ signals deeper US strategic control
Trump-aligned think tank proposes ‘Pacific Charter’, greater US involvement in the region
An American right-wing think tank is proposing a “Pacific Charter” that advocates for a greater United States presence in the region.
The Heritage Foundation, closely associated with the ruling Republican Party, wrote that China is “covetously” looking to the Pacific nations while they are vulnerable to major security threats, such as the transnational drug trade.
The think tank holds significant influence with US President Donald Trump, best encapsulated in its “Project 2025” platform that guided conservative policy leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
Its latest report, A charter of Pacific values for a prosperous Pacific future, points out that Pacific nations are uniquely vulnerable at a difficult time, emboldening “outside forces” to take advantage.
Pacific countries are asked to “align” their policy agendas, while the US establishes a “Pacific Partners Commission” and installs a “Pacific Advisor” on their National Security Council.
RNZ
America’s global actions undermine the rules-based order
…right now, America has trapped the planet in an energy crisis thanks to Trump’s illegal war on Iran which he is conducting fresh from illegally kidnapping the Venezuelan President and enabling genocide in Gaza, so any idea we should be cuddling up with America is farcical.
America is the threat, not our defender!
As a small independent country, the rules-based order is our sacred text, Trump has trashed that rules-based order.
Look.
I appreciate I have been banging on about this for 3 years now, but didn’t we ourselves generate the strife we have with the Cook Islands when we simply allowed the bloody yanks access to our realm?
Did New Zealand open the door in the Cook Islands?
In 2023, we allowed the bloody Americans to open embassies in the Cook Islands and Niue without talking to us first and the ‘free association’ lesson taken by the Cook Islands of the Americans pushing past us that they could also allow China to do the same!
Winston should have immediately stopped that.
We should never have allowed America to do that to us, because it set a precedent that China could as well, which is exactly what happened!
A dangerous double standard on US vs China influence
The recent three ship flotilla by China through the Tasman sea had more firepower than the entire Australian and NZ Navy’s combined.
Why are we allowing America to encroach into our Realm while complaining about China when America currently is the far bigger threat?
If New Zealand is serious about sovereignty in the Pacific, then it cannot selectively apply that principle depending on whether influence comes from Washington or Beijing. Allowing one power to expand unchecked while condemning another is not strategy — it is inconsistency, and small nations pay the price for that confusion.
American Idiocracy, coming to a city near you.
Remember travelling to Brasil not long after 9/11 .
There were the usual passport control gates, some for Brazilians and other South Americans, a couple for others and one special dedicated gate for US citizens. The Septics were getting the same friendly treatment the yank Border staff were handing out to foreigners at the US Border. Needless to say there were some upset and indignant American travellers. I asked the Officer checking my passport what was the reason for the Americans reception. His short answer, “ we consider them the enemy”