I thought this was an interesting piece, and speaks to the radically changing strategic situation in the immediate region.
I must confess to being a little perplexed by the lack of urgency evident in projected NZ defence policy/spending going forward, especially compared to what is being canvassed in Aus. I would have thought NZ could, at the very least, play a key role in shoring up support among the Pacific island nations and exercising vital soft power in response to PRC/CCP ambitions in NZ's own backyard. Perhaps I am missing something here?
I watched it on Wednesday night I think and have been cogitating over it since. It is by Shirvan Neftchi , an Azerbaijani, who has an interest in history. The interesting thing about him is that he comments about subjects outside his own geographical area and he researches his topics. I searched out some info on him and
this review is one of the better written pieces I found.
So since we have such a large continental shelf we'll have to invade Norfolk Island and New Caledonia to sure 100% ownership of and stop the pollution of aerial ping pong from the West Island.
Well you know most of the regular Kiwi posters views on Kiwi pollies attitudes towards defence, so I won't repeat the obvious.
On a different matter.
Newsroom ran a story on Thursday,
Tighter rules for sensitive exports within weeks that is pertinent to this discussion because it sources an Anne-Marie Brady paper,
Holding a Pen in One Hand, Gripping a Gun in the Other, which is a follow up to her
Magic Weapons paper. This paper looks at dual use technology and knowledge and NZ's weakness in legislation around it. She shows how much the PLA is involved with PRC educational institutions and overseas programs.
In 2017, a Chinese military company proudly announced production of an innovative cargo drone, marketed as suitable as an armed one-use military cargo plane which could drop off supplies in difficult mountainous terrain.1 China’s contested mountainous border with India would be one such location. The plane’s technology originated from a well-known New Zealand company that had once been owned by New Zealand taxpayers. The technology had been transferred in a deal that was endorsed by the 2008-2017 New Zealand National Party government. Praising the BAIC-Pacific Aerospace partnership in 2014, then Minister of Trade, Tim Groser, remarked—without any trace of irony—“Relationships like this demonstrate that we don’t just export dairy and lamb to China, but also our tech-nology.”2 New Zealand has indeed increasingly been exporting our innovative and sensitive tech-nology to China. As this paper outlines, some of these exchanges appear to breach our domestic laws and international commitments. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is using civilian links with Western countries to access cutting-edge scientific expertise with military-end-use. China’s exploitation of civilian channels for military purposes raises national security, as well as reputational, ethical, and intellectual property risks for New Zealand. New Zealand’s experience of grappling with China’s covert military links may be relevant for other nations as they too re-assess their scientific, commercial, and educa-tional relations with the PRC.
Above is the abstract from the paper. And then there is this:
The AT200 developed from the PAC-750XL,
China's AT200 Drone is Big Enough to Fit a Small Car Inside . Bet PAC don't get paid any royalties. I can't remember any NZ govt comments about it, but I think that some should be in order.
