New Zealand’s defense forces warned that China has been aggressively pursuing its interests in the Indo-Pacific region. The increasingly powerful nation poses a threat to New Zealand and other nearby countries in areas of security, strategic competition, and cyber abilities. According to Reuters, New Zealand has expressed specific worries over Chinese development and militarization efforts in the South China Sea. Such concerns are shared by the U.S. and Australia as well as they have economic interests in the region and work to maintain the current peace in the Pacific.

New Zealand’s 2021 defense report stated that the nation was especially worried over the growing strategic competition with its trading partner China. With China rising as a superpower, growing strategic competition will likely increase the possibility for confrontation and conflict. Being largely a maritime nation with heavy economic ties to the sea, it is important for New Zealand that countries like China respect the Law of the Sea. In addition, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said China’s “artificial island-building, continued militarisation, and activities which pose risks to freedom of navigation” in the South China Sea were a “serious concern” for New Zealand. According to CNN, the U.S. has already stepped up this year to formally reject China’s claims as illegal. China has also increased its displays of force by launching ballistic missiles and flying military aircraft into Taiwan’s airspace.

China has a long history of wanting to reclaim territory that they “have” historical claims to. Since taking power in 2012, Chinese President Xi Jinping has pushed China to have an aggressive foreign policy with a high focus on the Indo-Pacific Region. China has expressed claims to the entirety of the 1.3 million-square-mile South China Sea, but many neighboring nations have protested with their overlapping territorial claims. Recently, China has built runways and military bases on reefs, sandbars, and small islands. Governments in the region have strongly opposed this and express growing worry over China’s actions.

The threat of China’s encroachment in the South China Sea is only likely to grow in the coming years. China has shown no signs of slowing down and has only emphasized its regional claims. Currently, many nations such as the U.S. have military ships in the area to monitor the situation and attempt to deter Chinese expansion. It will be important to monitor the superpower and mitigate actions that undermine the security of other nations.