South Pacific Defence Ministers Meet Against Backdrop of Rising Tensions

As host of this year’s meeting, New Zealand is playing a central role in shaping the future of Pacific security at a time of rising aggression from Beijing.

An uncrewed "Bluebottles" vessel, powered by renewable energy, which is deployed by NZ to patrol its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). New Zealand Department of Defence

A week after Beijing launched an ICBM test aimed at the Pacific—the first time it had done so in 30 years—defence ministers from across the Pacific met for their ninth annual gathering.

Overshadowing other concerns at the South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM) was an evolving security landscape marked by increasing aggression from Beijing.