TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — New Zealand’s Air Force chief told local lawmakers on Thursday (Feb. 15) that the Australian military is “reshaping” for “a singular threat from a singular direction.”
"They are putting a huge amount of effort into that, and they are making decisions every day about how they will equip their force and where they will... compromise and put money somewhere else,” Air Marshal Kevin Short told a New Zealand parliamentary committee on foreign affairs and defense, per RNZ.
Short said that New Zealand had discussed with Australia its position to not have a single threat driving its security interactions with Australia. The air marshal’s comments follow a security dialogue between the two countries in Melbourne earlier this month.
The Australian Defense Ministry said in a 2023 strategy document that “intense China-United States competition is the defining feature of our region and our time.” The same document also said that Australia will “continue to cooperate with China where we can, disagree where we must, manage our differences wisely,” while “vigorously” pursuing national interest.
Australia has also committed to major investment in U.S.-made nuclear attack submarines as part of the AUKUS military alliance that also includes the U.K. Polling from the Sydney-based Lowy Institute released in June found that 74% of Australians feel the alliance is more likely to mean their country would be drawn into a war between the U.S. and China.
However, the poll found a larger number think the alliance is important for Australia’s security. Three quarters also said they viewed it as likely China would become a military threat to Australia over the next 20 years, though more than half said they would not support sending military personnel to fight for Taiwan.
AUKUS members have indicated they would be prepared to accept new members into the military alliance, though New Zealand is yet to formally declare interest. On Tuesday, two former New Zealand prime ministers penned an opinion piece warning the country against joining the alliance, while others have supported the idea.
Short also suggested that Australia had made it clear it felt New Zealand ought to improve its own defense capabilities. “Australia has been very open and frank about what they see and what they would like to see,” he said.
New Zealand’s new coalition government has asked the defense force to find 6.5% in savings, which Short said he had shown government ministers would have an impact. Short said to go beyond 6.5% in spending cuts would be to reduce New Zealand’s defense capabilities.