Welcoming Kiribati - NZ Statement of Partnership

PILLAR is pleased by the announcement of our country’s growing commitment to friends in the Pacific region, namely Kiribati as announced today by the foreign minister. We are excited to see growing ties in the realm of security and foreign policy partnerships.

Recent security developments in the Pacific initiated by the People’s Republic of China have been a cause of concern for many in New Zealand. New Zealand’s intelligence services have long warned about the threat that China poses to our national security both in terms of foreign interference in our domestic affairs and increasingly militaristic activities in the wider region. These concerns are shared by other Pacific nations. Strengthening the long-term security of Pacific partners is a critical deterrent to foreign interference by China not only in New Zealand, but also bolstering the national security of our Pacific partners.

Agreements such as the one signed today will help foster a socially, economically, and institutionally stable, sovereign, secure, and thriving Pacific region. This is of significant value to New Zealand’s long-term security, stability and growth.

China’s ambitions in the Pacific should not come as a surprise in 2026. Solomon Islands’ secret security agreement with China in 2022, the Cook-Islands' comprehensive strategic partnership with China and growing military activity by China in the region such as witnessed in the Tasman Sea in February 2025, should ring alarm bells for anyone wanting to deny the hegemonic ambitions of an authoritarian regime.

PILLAR stands to protect New Zealand’s heritage as a free, liberal and democratic society. As part of multiple concurrent campaigns, PILLAR seeks to fight back against the growing threats of foreign interference, transnational-repression, and transnational organised crime – all of which work to erode and destroy cherished liberties.

As a stable, liberal democracy, New Zealand must be a responsible neighbour in supporting its Pacific partners, not only for the sake of their freedom but also for the sake of New Zealand’s long-term security. Today’s agreement is an example of this shared spirit of cooperation and responsibility being exercised.

As the resurgence of great power politics looms large and multilateralism erodes, nations which cherish and exercise democratic norms must act responsibly to protect our way of life. Regional agreements with Pacific partners such as the one signed today help protect New Zealand’s sovereignty and therefore the individual freedoms of all its citizens.