Pacific must not become a ‘military zone’ amid rise of China, New Zealand’s deputy PM warns

New Zealand’s deputy prime minister Winston Peters said the Pacific must not ‘become the grounds for competition’ as the US and China push for influence in the region. Photograph: Hagen Hopkins/The Guardian

The Pacific must be protected from becoming a military zone amid China’s growing push for influence in the region, New Zealand’s top diplomat Winston Peters has warned ahead of a meeting with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong.

Peters, who is New Zealand’s deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister, told the Guardian that his country has a good relationship with China.