Commercial pilots were forced to divert from their routes when the Chinese navy gave minimal warning of a live fire exercise in the waters between Australia and New Zealand. The Albanese government wants an explanation from Beijing.
The Cook Islands said on Saturday that it signed a comprehensive strategic partnership deal with China - a move expected to raise concerns in New Zealand with which it has constitutional ties. The deal was signed by Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown during a visit to Beijing.
Beijing responds indignantly to the uproar in Australia as well as New Zealand following a week of military exercises staged by three Chinese warships
The Australian government is demanding answers from Beijing after commercial flights had to divert over the Tasman Sea after they received last-minute alert of Chinese warship exercises.
Australia learned about Chinese live-fire naval drills off the country’s coast that forced dozens of flights to be diverted via an alert from a commercial pilot, authorities said on Monday. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s unprecedented show of firepower in waters between Australia and New Zealand has raised alarm in both countries in recent days as a clearer picture emerges of how much warning Beijing gave about the exercises.
China and New Zealand should become partners of mutual trust and address some specific differences through constructive dialogue, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterpart Winston Peters at a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday.
VCG. New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters concluded a three-day visit to China on Thursday. This was his first trip to C
China is ready to cooperate with New Zealand “to implement the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, enhance mutual understanding, and promote the sustained, sound and steady development of the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership,” he added.
The public quarrel between New Zealand and Cook Islands — which share a passport, a military and constitutional ties — was a victory for Beijing’s efforts to woo Pacific leaders and a blow to Western countries’ efforts to counter China’s sway ...
China and New Zealand have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining high-level exchanges and strengthening communication and cooperation to ensure their comprehensive strategic partnership moves forward on the right track and achieves greater progress.