Despite initial hopes that New Zealand would align itself with the trilateral strategic partnership between the US, the UK and Australia (AUKUS), New Zealand recently shut down any suggestion that this was a possibility. Whilst this may come as a surprise to New Zealand’s traditional allies, the reason for this is simple: New Zealand is too dependent on Chinese trade to risk jeopardising its relationship with the world’s 2nd largest economy.

View Benjamin Macintyre's award-winning essay here.