Geoffrey Miller: International geopolitical analyst on New Zealand and Australia's new security commitment

New Zealand and Australia have committed to working "in lock step" like never before over security issues.

Christopher Luxon and Anthony Albanese have wrapped up their bilateral meeting in Canberra.

Luxon says they have agreed to activate the alliance if either nation faces a severe cyber attack, and have invited defence ministers to renew closer ties.

International geopolitical analyst Geoffrey Miller told Heather du Plessis-Allan when these leaders meet, it's turning everything up a notch each time and very much in opposition to China.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
New Zealand and Ozzie have committed to working in lockstep
like never before over security issues. Christopher Luxen and Elbow
Anthony Albanezi have wrapped up their bilateral meeting in Canberra
and they've agreed to activate the alliance if either nation
faces a severe cyber attack with US now on. This
is international geopolitical analyst Jeffrey Millerhe.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Jeffrey, good evening here.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
What do you make of the cyber attack thing?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
It is interesting. I mean, look this change to news
Edan's independent foreign policy, I mean independent foreign policy is over.
Christopher Luxe and courted a nonsense last night at the
Lower Institute in Sydney. But these changes are revolutionary and
revolutionary at the same time. And each time these two
leaders meet with seeing something new, and so this is
what was unveiled today and it's just really turning everything

(00:46):
up or notch each time, and very much in opposition
to China. And that's the elephant in the room and
all of this that New Zealand really is on the
collision course with China now and it's becoming clearer and clearer.
Heads He's been a.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Cue used of exa. This is Christopher Luxon of exaggerating
how bad things are in that speech last night. Do
you think that's fair?

Speaker 2 (01:07):
No? I think Look, that speech was very very hawkish
that he gave last night, and in the Q and
A he was equally hawkish. And he, you know, in
the Q and A afterwards, he drew a straight line
between Ukraine and Asia and he was asked afterwards by
journalists about this, and he mentioned Taiwan and then tried

(01:30):
to take it back and walk it back. And I
think there's a lesson there for Christopher Luxe. And he
does speak very quickly. He talks very quickly, and he
likes to answer very quickly. But some of these things
really really matter, and words matter hugely in diplomacy. You've
got to be very very careful with your choice of words.
Beijing will be listening very closely to what he says,

(01:50):
and you know, you just have to be I think
you have to be a little bit more subtle here
with some of these things, because there could be real
consequences here for New Zealanders. New zealands biggest trading partner
is China, thirty eight billion dollars worth of two way trade,
and all of that could be at stake here.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Jeffrey is so good to talk to you mate. Thank
you very much. Jeffrey Miller, international geopolitical analyst. I don't
know if you caught what Jeffrey just said. There was
like you just said it, but it's quite a serious thing.
Could put New Zealand on a collision course with China,
so keep an eye on more commentary on that.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
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