On 22 August the 12th annual New Zealand-China Strategic Defence Dialogue was held in Wellington.
This is a regular officials’ level meeting between New Zealand and China. This year, the Chinese delegation was hosted by Acting Vice Chief of Defence Force Commodore Mat Williams and Deputy Secretary Policy and Planning of the Ministry of Defence Richard Schmidt.
The Dialogue was cordial and constructive, and provided an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on regional and global security issues. Participants also discussed opportunities for further dialogue and cooperation through regional fora.
The dialogue is one of a suite of regular engagements New Zealand Defence undertakes with international counterparts.
About the dialogue
This meeting was the 12th iteration of the Strategic Defence Dialogue between New Zealand and China. While the Strategic Defence Dialogue is an annual engagement, it did not take place between 2020 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.