Post by ngatimozart on Jul 19, 2013 20:21:04 GMT 12
In recent years the NZG had committed NZDF to work and operate with NATO in Afghanistan. Lately our Prime Minister has stated that he would like to continue NZDFs involvement with NATO in other areas. Whic is all well and good. There has been a suggestion that NATO may have to expand it's horizons east and some nations would look upon this very favourably.
First thing about that is China is going to be a tad upset about that idea. Secondly there is the Japanese question. Japan needs to increase its Self Defence Force capabilities and the Abe Govt has signalled that it is going to do this. However China and both Koreas are very uncomfortable with an increased Japanese military capability. China sees any Japanese increases as an encroachment upon its perceived areas of sovereign national ownership regardless that these areas are well outside Chinese territorial waters and are subject to other nations claims. The Chinese are willing to use military means to achieve their objective and recently have been uping the ante. Add inThailand, Phillipines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore then Australia and NZ have some big issues to face when the brown stuff hits the fan. In NZs (and Australias) case if NATO decide to move east then NATO will expect nations here who it includes to adhere to the NATO defence spending benchmark that applies to its members - 2% of GDP. How will our pollies deal with that? Yes I have left out one nation that does have an impact in the Pacific and Asia - Russia.
thediplomat.com/the-naval-diplomat/2013/07/18/how-japans-military-should-change/
“There is a group of nations that is willing to cooperate and coordinate with NATO, as they all face similar threats and concerns. Among them are Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, India, the Gulf Cooperation Council members, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, and several states in central Asia and Latin America. NATO should become the security and defense agora for these nations in their search for new ideas, methods, and tools for their defense and for the implementation of actions mandated by the international community.”
thediplomat.com/the-editor/2012/05/18/will-nato-look-east/
thediplomat.com/the-editor/2012/05/18/will-nato-look-east/
First thing about that is China is going to be a tad upset about that idea. Secondly there is the Japanese question. Japan needs to increase its Self Defence Force capabilities and the Abe Govt has signalled that it is going to do this. However China and both Koreas are very uncomfortable with an increased Japanese military capability. China sees any Japanese increases as an encroachment upon its perceived areas of sovereign national ownership regardless that these areas are well outside Chinese territorial waters and are subject to other nations claims. The Chinese are willing to use military means to achieve their objective and recently have been uping the ante. Add inThailand, Phillipines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore then Australia and NZ have some big issues to face when the brown stuff hits the fan. In NZs (and Australias) case if NATO decide to move east then NATO will expect nations here who it includes to adhere to the NATO defence spending benchmark that applies to its members - 2% of GDP. How will our pollies deal with that? Yes I have left out one nation that does have an impact in the Pacific and Asia - Russia.
thediplomat.com/the-naval-diplomat/2013/07/18/how-japans-military-should-change/