Analysis: NZ is getting closer to the US. Is that a good thing?

New Zealand faces a delicate diplomatic tightrope walk between the US and China, writes US Correspondent Logan Church from Washington DC.

No one does protocol quite like the Americans.

After taking the early morning train to Washington DC and arriving at the State Department, we were whisked up to the top floor of the relatively dull, hospital-esque building, to a room that looked like it was pulled from Downton Abbey.

Ornate wooden paneling. Decorative rugs. Crystal chandeliers. Classical columns adorned in gold trim.

This is the office of the United States Secretary of State. The person in that role is arguably the second most powerful and influential figure in global politics, the first being the US president.

And, today, the New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters met with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for a wide-ranging meeting on topics from Gaza to fisheries in the Pacific region.

"New Zealand and the United States are the closest of partners and we are working together to support and advance a free and healthy Indo-Pacific region," Blinken told us outside his office, Peters standing beside him.

"I also very much appreciate the focus that we both bring to working with our friends in the Pacific Islands."

On the surface, it was a successful meeting of two longtime friends and neighbours across the Pacific.

"NZ and the US: an ever closer partnership," was the title of the first press release from Peter's office.

"NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperation," was the one that came in screaming next.

A joint declaration was also released, which, among other things, announced the two countries had agreed to schedule an annual official meeting between our top diplomats.

There were also several multi-million dollar projects in the Pacific that we have agreed to co-fund.

However, despite the smiles and handshakes, our relationship is not straightforward.

In particular, one of the more controversial issues is around New Zealand potentially becoming a so-called Pillar 2 country in AUKUS, the joint military partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, to maintain regional security.

This at a time when China is also trying to expand its own influence over the Indo-Pacific.

While the previous government had started exploring the possibility of AUKUS Pillar 2 membership, it appears this current one is taking that baton and pressing on.

That's raised alarm bells with people like former Prime Minister Helen Clark who expressed concerns this week that membership may compromise New Zealand's long standing independent foreign policy position.

Take a bit more of the US-NZ declaration today: "We share the view that the Quad, AUKUS, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity contribute to peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and see powerful reasons for New Zealand engaging practically with them, as and when all parties deem it appropriate.

Peters added: "What they've said to us is they'd like to talk to us about a possible pillar two and what that might mean - and what might that mean we are discussing now."

I asked the Foreign Minister if he was concerned about blowback from countries such as China if NZ started looking seriously at joining such a partnership, especially considering China is not only a growing superpower but also our biggest trade partner. In short, we need them.

Peters came back straightaway with a "no".

"I cannot conceive why any other democracy, or any other government would have a cause for blowback from being good friends in the Pacific, in the world, with them or anyone else," he said.

"We have been and are a country that has a right to make our decisions - not always in agreement with other countries but where we do and where they advance our cause and the cause of our neighbourhood, I think we have a right to prospect that without someone thinking the purpose of our engagement is untoward towards them."

David Capie is Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies and Professor of International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington. I spoke to him after today's meetings and he told me: “The world is a much more dangerous place, and the region is much more challenging, so NZ is looking to re-engage with its closest and most trusted security partners.

“I think there’s a lot of concern about the changing balance of power across the Indo-Pacific region, about a more assertive, occasionally coercive, China.

"But also, just generally - a lot of the things that New Zealand’s been able to take for granted about the way the world works that have been favourable to a small country for the last three decades. A lot of that is in flux.”

He said it was still very possible for New Zealand to maintain positive relationships with both China and the United States, despite increasing tension between the two Super Powers.

“But there are clearly points of friction and there are going to be decisions along the way that are going to provoke reactions and raise issues,” he said.

“Those are the kind of things that need to get managed through diplomacy.”

In the ornate surroundings of Washington DC, that's exactly what was going on this morning.