Geoffrey Miller: International Geopolitical Analyst on the establishment of an FBI base in Wellington

The opening of a standalone FBI office may be putting New Zealand in a bit of an awkward position.  

The bureau's establishing a permanent presence in Wellington, focusing on trans-national crime like terrorism money laundering, child exploitation, and foreign intelligence threats. 

FBI Director Kash Patel has also said it would counter China’s influence in the Pacific. 

Geopolitical Analyst Geoffrey Miller told Mike Hosking Patel’s statement has ruffled feathers at the Chinese Embassy in Wellington, who put out a statement condemning “groundless assertions and vilification of China”.  

He says the Government is loath to upset the apple cart when it comes to China and our trading relationship with them, but they also have to take the United States’ desires into account. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
FBI or expanding as you know, cash Good morning, mate,
good Is this real? I mean or is this just
the door with a sign on it that says the
FBI is in town. Are they actually got some cops
and they're doing some stuff.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
I think what's interesting here, Mike is the framing. I mean,
it's not new for a FBI director to visit New Zealand.
James Comey remember him visited New Zealand back in twenty
sixteen and twenty seventeen, and they actually opened a sub
office back then, which was effectively a branch office out
of the office in Candra. But what is different this
time is that cash Bit's openly saying this is about

(00:31):
countering the Chinese Communist Party and the Endo Pacific. That
those are the first words that he used when he
gave his video message about why he was here. And
I think it's somewhat uncomfortable to the New Zealand sign.
But you have to wonder about the politics of all
of this, whether some dealer is also being done, given
today is deadline day for the tariffs, whether hosting a
visit by Oh.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
Here we go and join me, are you, Jeffrey You're
going to say open up a new office, and we'll
give you twelve percent, not fifteen.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
You have to remember Donald Trump is the is the
deal maker in chief. Yep. So you know everything is
on the table when it comes to the Trump administration.
I wouldn't put it past them. And of course these
words from Cash battal about China have clearly irritated the
Chinese Embassy and Wellington. They put it out of statement
last night condemning what they call a groundless assertions and

(01:19):
vilification of China. So it's certainly roughle feathers, and it's
a very interesting one.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
We are in such a tricky spot, aren't we. We
love the Chinese because we've got you know, forty billion
dollars worth of two way with them. But you know,
when Cash comes to town and Donald's doing I mean,
we don't know what we're doing. We're looking one way
and the other way. We're sort of stuck, aren't we.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Indeed? Trying to threat the needle constantly, and it's a
really tricky battle if you're the government right now. Of course,
Christopher lux And had that very successful visit to China
back in June, had those meetings with Chi Jiping, with
bou Chang. The premiere all went well and very much
trying to keep things on an even keel with China,
which is remember the New Zealand's biggest trading partner and
still around a third of our exports go to China

(01:59):
every year and that is what is really propelling the
economy at the moment, the rise and the export trade,
and a huge amount of that is going to China,
all the meat and dairy exports. So Christopher Luxen is
loath to do anything to upset the apple cut when
it comes to that, but Yetie has to also remember
what the United States wants of New Zealand, because New

(02:19):
Zealand is trying to keep on good terms with the
Trump administration and when you look at the whole games
with tariff, that's very much in play.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Exactly, have a good week in Jeffer Jeffrey Miller, geopolitical analyst.
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