"Our region is now a strategic theatre": New Zealand's Balancing Response to China
Dr Reuben Steff, Senior Lecturer, University of Waikato
Wednesday, 29 November 2023 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Wellington
Rutherford House RHLT2, 33 Bunny Street, Pipitea, Wellington
As the US-China Great Power Competition intensifies New Zealand – a small state in the South Pacific – has shifted its view of Beijing from a potential security partner to a revisionist actor challenging the regional status quo and the international rules-based order that Wellington asserts is critical to its long-term security. China’s rise and assertive behaviour is placing systemic pressures on New Zealand to react and altered its threat assessment of Beijing. This presentation will detail New Zealand’s balancing strategy vis-a-vis China from 2010. This includes a first phase of pre-balancing through deepened ties with Washington, then transition to active balancing via acquisition of advanced aircraft, space co-operation, joint naval manoeuvres, and soft balancing in the Pacific.
A suite of new strategic documents released in August 2023 signals a second phase of pre-balancing, portending rejuvenation of the NZ Defence Force and more active efforts to respond to China, especially in the South Pacific. New Zealand’s potential membership of AUKUS is considered, and how Wellington is presently managing to balance its US and China’s relationships within an asymmetric hedging strategy. New Zealand is cognisant of geostrategic issues and far from aloof to China’s rise.
Bio: Dr Reuben Steff
Dr Reuben Steff is Senior Lecturer of Geopolitics and International Relations at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. His research includes Great Power Competition, emerging technologies, nuclear deterrence theory, and NZ geopolitics. He has publications on these topics in multiple journals and has authored four books, including Emerging Technologies and International Security: Machines, the State and War (Routledge, 2020). His forthcoming book is Indo-Pacific Geopolitics in an era of Intensifying Great Power Competition: A New Zealand Security Strategy Perspective (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2024).
He regularly participates in policy development processes, attends Academic-Government Roundtables on national security issues, and participates in track 1.5 and track 2 dialogues.
He welcomes conversations, provocations, and good faith debate at rsteff@waikato.ac.nz, tweets @ReubenSteff and is happy to connect via LinkedIn.
As the US-China Great Power Competition intensifies New Zealand – a small state in the South Pacific – has shifted its view of Beijing from a potential security partner to a revisionist actor challenging the regional status quo and the international rules-based order that Wellington asserts is critical to its long-term security. China’s rise and assertive behaviour is placing systemic pressures on New Zealand to react and altered its threat assessment of Beijing. This presentation will detail New Zealand’s balancing strategy vis-a-vis China from 2010. This includes a first phase of pre-balancing through deepened ties with Washington, then transition to active balancing via acquisition of advanced aircraft, space co-operation, joint naval manoeuvres, and soft balancing in the Pacific.
A suite of new strategic documents released in August 2023 signals a second phase of pre-balancing, portending rejuvenation of the NZ Defence Force and more active efforts to respond to China, especially in the South Pacific. New Zealand’s potential membership of AUKUS is considered, and how Wellington is presently managing to balance its US and China’s relationships within an asymmetric hedging strategy. New Zealand is cognisant of geostrategic issues and far from aloof to China’s rise.
Bio: Dr Reuben Steff
Dr Reuben Steff is Senior Lecturer of Geopolitics and International Relations at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. His research includes Great Power Competition, emerging technologies, nuclear deterrence theory, and NZ geopolitics. He has publications on these topics in multiple journals and has authored four books, including Emerging Technologies and International Security: Machines, the State and War (Routledge, 2020). His forthcoming book is Indo-Pacific Geopolitics in an era of Intensifying Great Power Competition: A New Zealand Security Strategy Perspective (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2024).
He regularly participates in policy development processes, attends Academic-Government Roundtables on national security issues, and participates in track 1.5 and track 2 dialogues.
He welcomes conversations, provocations, and good faith debate at rsteff@waikato.ac.nz, tweets @ReubenSteff and is happy to connect via LinkedIn.
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