New Zealand Takes Step Toward Joining Aukus Security Pact
- Australia set to send officials to Wellington for discussions
- Pact largely targets China’s perceived military assertiveness
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New Zealand has agreed to officially explore the potential benefits of joining the Aukus pact, the latest sign that Wellington will contribute to the security agreement mainly aimed at countering China.
Australia will send a team of officials to New Zealand soon to discuss pillar two of Aukus, which relates to cooperation in strategically sensitive areas including quantum computing and artificial intelligence, the foreign affairs and defense minsters of both countries said after meetings in Melbourne on Thursday. The other members of Aukus are the US and the UK.