Chinese ambassador Wang Xiaolong’s decision to insert himself into NZ’s Aukus debate makes it clear we are now in the regional power politics game, Nicholas Khoo writes

Opinion: An extraordinary diplomatic event occurred last week.

Wang Xiaolong, China’s ambassador to New Zealand, delivered a speech at the China Business Summit in Auckland that was straight from central office in Beijing.

In the speech, Wang confidently inserted himself into our Aukus debate, with little concern that interference in the internal affairs of other countries contravenes one of China’s own Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

The ambassador highlighted “the recent debate here in New Zealand on Aukus, given its relevance to the mutual trust between China and New Zealand”.

He then backed a number of contentious claims that have been aired by one side of the debate in New Zealand. Wang’s intervention therefore demands our close analysis.

Unsurprisingly, there was a rehashing of Beijing’s official talking points, with the assertion that “Aukus is a nuclear-based military-nature alliance clearly and unabashedly designed to maintain US hegemony”.

The ambassador also made the statement that “many people in New Zealand and beyond believe that joining such an alliance in whatever form is taking sides”. This was followed by the ominous assertion that “counting on military alliances to maintain peace is a poisoned chalice”.

To be absolutely clear, Aukus is an Australian-initiated technology sharing partnership and not an alliance. An alliance contains formal treaty obligations that far outweigh that of a partnership. And one person’s hegemony is another’s leadership.

What about the nuclear element? Aukus contains two pillars. Pillar I features submarines powered by nuclear propulsion technology, to enhance speed, minimise detection, and ensure extended undersea operational capacity. The submarines are not armed with nuclear weapons. Pillar II features a variety of non-nuclear advanced technologies in eight areas ranging from artificial intelligence to quantum technology.

Next, there was the assertion that Aukus “threatens to start a regional arms race and lead to escalating tensions”. Unmentioned was China’s central role in causing the creation of the partnership, which is aimed to restore a regional stability that has been disrupted through a decade of Chinese coercive diplomacy targeting a number of regional states.

The ambassador also highlighted Aukus’ “serious implications for the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and efforts to keep the region nuclear-free”. This is a curious statement since Australia is an upstanding member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and is consulting closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency on Aukus.

This episode highlights two realities that we need to internalise very deeply.

First, whether we like it or not, New Zealand is now in the regional power politics game.

The events last week confirm that Beijing has chosen to make our potential membership in Aukus Pillar II an issue in the relationship.

It is unlikely to be a coincidence that three days after the Chinese ambassador’s speech, a meeting occurred in Wellington between Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party and Foreign Minister Winston Peters. This was followed by a lunch involving Liu, Peters, and Trade Minister Todd McClay.