Australia welcomes NZ joining Pacific defence alliance
New Zealand is considering joining a new defence alliance between Australia and Fiji, known as the Ocean of Peace Alliance. The partnership aims to bolster regional security and curb Chinese influence in the Pacific with a significant funding commitment.
Why it matters
This move signals a shift in Pacific geopolitical alignments and highlights the ongoing strategic competition between Western powers and China in the region.
Australia's foreign minister has welcomed plans by New Zealand to join a defence alliance between Australia and Fiji. The Ocean of Peace Alliance was signed on Monday by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka, with each country committing to come to the other's aid if they were attacked. The text of the agreement also opened up the possibility of other Pacific nations joining. On Thursday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/07/09/nz-to-explore-joining-fiji-australia-defence-alliance-pm/" target="_blank">said the country was considering signing up to the alliance</a>, aimed at curbing Chinese influence in the Pacific. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the inclusion of the trans-Tasman ally to the partnership would be a good step forward. "We welcome the New Zealand government's interest in joining the Ocean of Peace Alliance with Australia and Fiji once it enters into force," she said in a statement.
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