WASHINGTON — The United States and New Zealand signed an agreement to expand defense cooperation on June 19 but the deal does not alter Auckland’s longstanding ban on port visits by nuclear-armed American warships, officials said.
The accord was the latest in a series marking U.S. attempts to shift its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific, as Washington keeps a wary eye on China’s rising power.
New Zealand’s Defense Minister Jonathan Coleman said the accord called for a security dialogue as well as joint exercises and other collaborative efforts between the two countries’ armed forces.
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