New Zealand Rejects China's Proposal for Joint Military Exercises

New Zealand has reportedly rejected China's proposal for joint military exercises and urged the resumption of dialogue with the United States.

Andrew Little, New Zealand Minister of Defense
Photo by Yonhap News

According to New Zealand media outlet Stuff on the 3rd (local time), Andrew Little, New Zealand's Minister of Defence, who attended the 20th Asia Security Conference (Shangri-La Dialogue) held in Singapore, refused China's proposal for joint military exercises during a separate meeting with Chinese Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu the previous day. China and New Zealand are currently holding high-level military talks between the two countries.

Minister Little stated that he proposed to Minister Li that China and New Zealand conduct joint military exercises to further strengthen bilateral relations, but the proposal was declined. He also mentioned that the atmosphere of the meeting with Minister Li was very friendly.

At the meeting, Minister Little reportedly urged China to resume dialogue with the United States, according to Stuff. China had previously rejected the U.S. proposal for a meeting between U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Minister Li during the Shangri-La Dialogue.

Minister Little told reporters, "We want to continue high-level dialogue. However, for various reasons, we are not in a position to conduct joint military exercises." He added, "We expect major powers to have opportunities for contact and dialogue when regional tensions rise," emphasizing that not only the United States but also China, which possesses powerful military capabilities including nuclear weapons, plays a very significant role.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.