Why wandering warships are rattling our relationship with China

As tensions ratchet up in the Pacific, China is sending a message with its Tasman Sea military exercises.

Mōrena, and welcome to The Bulletin for Wednesday, February 26.

In today’s edition: Beefed up citizen’s arrest powers to be announced today; Covid inquiry hit with multiple resignations; and a fact check on yesterday’s Gangs Act reporting. But first, Winston Peters has landed in Beijing for scheduled meetings. He’ll have a lot to discuss.

Sailors stand on deck of a warship during a 2019 naval parade. (Image: Getty / The Spinoff)

Warships inch closer to Australian coast

The Chinese warships undertaking live firing exercises in the Tasman Sea have moved closer to the Australian coast, according to Australia and New Zealand military monitors. By yesterday the ships were 218 nautical miles east of Tasmania – around 60 nautical miles nearer than they were at the start of the week, RNZ reports. As Shanti Mathias explains this morning on The Spinoff, the warships are still safely in international waters and there is no suggestion that China has acted illegally. Still, the Australian and NZ governments are clearly unnerved by the surprise naval drills in their own backyard.

Lack of warning a key concern

Defence minister Judith Collins told Morning Report the exercises happened on “a couple of hours’ notice”, much less than the 12-24 hours usually needed to alert civil aviation. In fact a Virgin Australia pilot was the first to alert air traffic control of the live-fire exercises, before any official notification was received, the ABC reports. The pilot picked up warnings via an emergency radio frequency while mid-flight on Friday morning; a short time later, a New Zealand-bound Emirates flight was directly warned by one of the warships involved.

Trans-Tasman flights were diverted throughout the weekend as a precautionary measure, with the diversions finally lifted on Monday morning once the warships had moved further south.

China attacks ‘unreasonable’ response

While both governments have been careful not to openly criticise China, their stated concerns about the exercises have still ruffled feathers in Beijing. The Chinese government says reactions have been “unreasonable” and denies it failed to give sufficient prior warning. Meanwhile the state-controlled Global Times accuses “certain countries” of double standards, arguing they are exploiting the so-called “China threat” in the Pacific to expand defence budgets. “It is clear who is flexing military muscle, causing trouble, and using ‘freedom of navigation’ as a guise for military intimidation, thereby undermining regional peace and stability,” writes columnist Zhang Junshe.

China’s sabre rattling in the Tasman Sea may end up as an own goal, writes law professor Alexander Gillespie in The Conversation. “Because while it might prefer New Zealand to operate a more independent foreign policy – balancing its relations with east and west – the opposite may now be more likely.” The events of the past week, and China’s recent moves in the Pacific, could make the benefits of joining the Aukus defence pact an easier sell to a sceptical NZ public, Gillespie argues.

Peters gets face time with Beijing ministers

With China and New Zealand also drawn into diplomatic quarrels involving Kiribati and the Cook Islands in recent weeks, it’s safe to say Winston Peters will have plenty to discuss when he meets with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing today. The globetrotting foreign minister is spending two days in China, then heading to Mongolia and South Korea to discuss economic opportunities, agriculture and tourism, before returning home on Sunday.

Have thoughts? Join the conversation in the comments.

“This work is definitely a priority for us and our populations. But is it a priority of the government?"

Māori children are 46 times more likely to be hospitalised with rheumatic fever than Pākehā children. Mana Kidz, a network of dedicated nurses, is working to change that. Read the full story on The Spinoff now.

Fact checking yesterday’s Gangs Act reporting

Deputy editor Alice Neville writes:

On Monday, NZ Police put out a press release about the number of charges laid in the first three months of enforcement of the Gangs Act 2024 (that’s the one that bans gang insignia), which coincided with a broader police “crackdown” on gangs (Operation Nickel). The figure given was 337, but police also provided numbers for other charges laid during the crackdown: 3,037 charges for other offending including serious violence, drugs and firearms. The press release was clear enough, but some media took this larger figure and ran with it:

In addition to prohibiting the display of gang insignia, the Gangs Act also provides police with the powers to issue dispersal notices and gives courts the power to issue non-consorting orders and prohibition orders (more on that here). There have been none of those thus far, said police. So, to be clear, there have been more than 300 Gangs Act charges laid so far, not more than 3,000.

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Beefed up citizen’s arrest powers to be announced today

The government will announce expanded citizen’s arrest powers in a bid to address shoplifting, the NZ Herald’s Adam Pearse reports. Under the current legislation, citizen’s arrests can only occur between 9pm-6am; the suspected crime must be punishable with at least three years in prison, and if an item is stolen it must be worth at least $1000. The proposed changes to the act “wouldn’t have age limitations and would not require a minimum price for the stolen items before a citizen’s arrest could be made”, Pearse reports.

Watch Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club chapter three: ‘You old bat’

Heading into the heart of Ōtepoti’s flat party scene, Bryn and Ku meet some singleton students to find out more about what the dating scene and hook-up culture is like for young people in 2025. Are they looking for serious relationships? Does proper heartbreak still happen in the age of apps and social media? And just how many beer funnels can Bryn and Ku do before it is time to call it a night?

Made with the support of NZ On Air.

Click and Collect

• The executive director and two legal counsel at the Covid Royal Commission of Inquiry have resigned, apparently over concerns about how the inquiry is being run. (Stuff)

• Wayne Brown wants to scrap the half-finished Victoria St linear park project (NZ Herald)

• Increasing prescription supplies to up to 12 months is a dangerous idea, says medical director (RNZ)

• Shares in Ryman Healthcare plunged nearly 20% yesterday, taking the rest of the NZX down with it. (NZ Herald Premium)

• State-backed North Korean hackers have stolen NZ$2.6b of cryptocurrency in the largest heist in history. (Stuff)

• Marlon Williams has announced an 11-date Aotearoa tour. (Stuff)

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Join us at The Spinoff Book Club

The best way to enjoy a book is by yourself, the second best way is with a theatre full of people. Books editor Claire Mabey will lead a conversation with avid writers and readers Duncan Sarkies, Carl Shuker, Courtney Johnston and more. Join us to hear about their favourites, their recommendations, and what to look out for in the year to come.

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