Signing up to ‘pillar two’ of the AUKUS alliance sits uneasily with New Zealand’s distinctive worldview – and could aggravate its wider foreign policy challenges.

Despite a positive meeting, the contest between the world’s two biggest economies remains heated, largely without guardrails and of immense risk.

South-East Asia is anxious about the Ukraine war’s impact on regional economies. For New Zealand, that presents more pressing geopolitical priorities than confronting China.

With the rise of China and shifting international power dynamics, New Zealand needs to find its place in a complex system of alliances and partnerships.

Does New Zealand have more to lose than gain by joining ‘pillar two’ of the AUKUS security pact? The next government will have to decide, with serious implications for the country’s foreign policy.

Part of the rationale for acquiring nuclear-powered subs is to counter China’s growing military influence. But the US navy still remains much more powerful than China’s.