• Prime Minister Christopher Luxon warned of rising conflict risks in the Asia Pacific at the Asean summit. 
• He’s signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement with the Vietnamese Government. 
• Luxon emphasised the need for transparency in military modernisation and detailed plans for defence capability. 

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is floating the idea of sending a Royal New Zealand Navy vessel to the South China Sea, as he affirms closer ties with Vietnam. 

In Hanoi last night, Christopher Luxon signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement with the Vietnamese Government -- an agreement that greatly strengthens the two countries’ diplomatic ties. 

New Zealand is now just one of 10 countries to have such a deal with Vietnam, including the likes of the US, India, Australia, China and Russia. 

“What this does is puts us at the very highest level of diplomatic relations within Vietnam,” Luxon said yesterday. 

As well as bolstering economic, political and trade ties; the agreement also seeks to achieve a “higher level of engagement” in areas such as “security and oceans”. 

Speaking to media alongside Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính at the signing ceremony last night, Luxon revealed one way the new levels of security engagement will be reached. 

Prime Minister Chris Luxon in Vietnam, sharing a laugh with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Photo / Pool, Giles Dexter

“One of the things we have discussed is the possibility of having a Royal New Zealand Navy vessel visit Vietnam later this year.” 

Vietnam has a number of major ports located along the Eastern side of the country, in the South China Sea. 

There is much tension in that area of the world -- such as ongoing disputes between China and the Philippines, and between China and Taiwan. 

Luxon said: “[New Zealand and Vietnam’s] cooperation extends to many areas, including maritime issues... and also includes a strong defence and security focus.” 

“New Zealand and Vietnam share similar goals in this regard: A stable, secure and peaceful Indo-Pacific that delivers for our prosperity and collective security.” 

He said the two countries are looking to build on their existing ties through high-level defence visits and port calls. 

Luxon’s comments about sending a Navy vessel into the region came soon after he delivered a somewhat bleak outlook for the Asia-Pacific region at a keynote speech at the ASEAN summit in Hanoi. 

“We are clear-eyed that the risk of conflict in our wider region has risen,” he said. 

“It has become starkly apparent that we are in a world where rules are being subsumed by power as the key determinant in advancing states’ interests,” Luxon said, but did not mention who the rules were being subsumed by. 

“The risks for New Zealand are as real as they are for many countries here in Southeast Asia.” 

Asked if his comments were referring to China, Luxon wouldn’t say. 

His speech and comments on the Navy vessel also come amid tensions in the Tasman Sea - as three Chinese warships move closer to Australia’s exclusive economic zone. 

The situation is being monitored by the Defence Force and comes as Foreign Minister Winston Peters arrived in Beijing yesterday to meet his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. 

In a statement, Peters said this issue had been raised in their meeting but did not elaborate as to whether China had provided him with an explanation for the ships' movements. 

He also said: “Our region and the world are facing a myriad of challenges, including increased tensions in the South China Sea, and Taiwan Straight. 

Jason Walls is Newstalk ZB’s political editor and has years of experience in radio and print, including in the Parliamentary Press Gallery for the NZ Herald and Interest.co.nz. He is also the chairman of the Press Gallery.