The commander of the US military in the Pacific yesterday said he wants to expand and bolster its ties with New Zealand.
The visit to Wellington by US Indo-Pacific Command Commander Admiral John Aquilino came as the US seeks to increase its presence in the region amid deep concerns over China’s growing ambitions in the Pacific.
They include most recently the Solomon Islands, where the US and several Pacific nations expressed deep concern about a security pact Honiara signed with Beijing in April, which many fear could result in a military buildup in the region.
Photo: AP
Aquilino was greeted with a traditional Maori welcome ceremony and laid a wreath at the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park. He spoke briefly to media ahead of meetings with top New Zealand defense force and government officials.
“Our partnership runs very deep,” Aquilino said. “We are doing many things together to continue to ensure peace and prosperity for both of our nations and for all the nations in the region.”
Aquilino said he wanted to identify new areas where the US could work with New Zealand, adding that the leadership of Australia and New Zealand in the Pacific was “critically important.”
“The one thing you will never hear out of me is big or small. This is a partnership,” Aquilino said. “All nations deliver those things that they can deliver.”
He said the US understood the security implications of climate change in Pacific island nations, including for food security and water security, and the importance for island nations to be able to fish in exclusive zones.
“The United States has been a Pacific nation our entire life. We will continue to operate in the Pacific no matter what else you might hear,” Aquilino said.
New Zealand Defence Force Chief Air Marshal Kevin Short said the relationship with the US had been strong for decades, and it regularly interacts with US forces so they can both operate better in the region.
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