AS BEIJING manoeuvres to turn the South Pacific into a “Chinese lake”, New Zealand’s response has so far been to hide behind Australia.
With Prime Minister Scott Morrison this month scrambling to lift Australia’s military capabilities to Cold War levels, New Zealand remains one of the world’s lowest defence spenders.
Communist Party diplomats again went on the offensive against PM Morrison, accusing him yesterday of “meddling in China’s internal affairs” after he sought to streamline Australian residency for Hong Kong citizens.
Responding to China’s increasing hostility towards many Indo-Pacific nations, Australia’s military build-up is now on track to eclipse Germany, France and Britain.
MASSIVE
Morrison this month announced a massive war chest taking the nation’s military spend up from US$35b a year to US$61.2b by 2030.
This is approaching Russia’s current defence budget of US$61.6b a year – and smashes through Australia’s long-term defence spending target of 2 per cent of GDP.
Russia’s military strength is currently ranked second behind the USA and slightly ahead of China, ranked third.
New Zealand’s annual spend remains at about 1 per cent of GDP at US$3.2b and its defence capability is ranked 79th in the Global Firepower rankings.
ANZUS
Having been cut from the ANZUS defence alliance in 1986, NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has little choice but to look towards Australia.
Australia is currently positioned 19th in the Firepower rankings, however, is expected to rapidly rise with Canberra’s renewed defence commitment.
“The defence force that emerges as a result of these adjustments may be the one that Australia has to go to war with,” according to a defence expert from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Security at IISS Dr Euan Graham said Australia’s significant shift flows from a stark assessment of “a rapidly deteriorating strategic environment”.
CONFLICT
“The adjustments now being ushered in reflect a growing realisation that Australia’s largely defensive armed forces are deficient in terms of lethality at the high end of the conflict spectrum, in order to deter attacks against Australia or its interests,” Dr Graham said.
“The emphasis on long-range strike capabilities has received most attention, however, Australia is no stranger to strike capabilities, having formerly operated aircraft carriers and the long-range F-111 [fighter jet].
“But this is the first time it is looking to acquire long-range missiles. Rather than a single system, it may eventually end up with a mix of land-, air- and sea-launched missiles, including some hyper-sonics, operated by all three services.
NUCLEAR
“This pushes Australia closer to a future posture that incorporates a measure of ‘deterrence by punishment’, including in the cyber domain, not only ‘deterrence by denial’.”
Although the strategic update reaffirms Australia’s reliance on the United States to provide extended nuclear deterrence, Dr Graham hinted that the logic of increased self-reliance in deterrence is also likely to nudge Canberra into more serious exploration of an independent nuclear capability.
International defence spending comparisons have been sourced from the International Institute of Strategic Studies (2019 Defence Budgets). To allow comparisons, defence spending has been converted to US dollars using the 10 year average exchange rate of 0.83 for Australia and 0.72 for NZ.PC
No surprise, NZ has always depended on Aust to protect them, they have no fighter aircraft and only two frigates!
NZ can no longer remain a white nation in denial as it has become. It shouldn’t expect to spend birdseed on its defence and then have others spill blood for its anaemic world view. It doesn’t work that way. The Kiwis have three options. Either defend themselves. Or become Australia’s seventh state or align with Arden’s communist mates. They must make a choice and they must stop being half in and half bloody out.
Wouldn’t it be great if Jacinda Ardern lived in China or North Korea for a year just so she can see what happens when her socialist ideals materialise into reality. During the Covid19 pandemic she showed her true colours when she helped usher into New Zealand the most barbaric and cruel abortion laws the country has seen. The way the main stream media paints her as so “compassionate” is such a lie.