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HON MARK BURTON
Minister of Defence
THE GOVERNMENT'S DEFENCE POLICY FRAMEWORK - June 2000
The Strategic Setting
- Events in the region over the past decade have included:
- the Asian economic meltdown;
- India and Pakistan acquiring a nuclear capability;
- continuing tension on the Korean Peninsula and between China and Taiwan;
- civil unrest and tension in Pacific Island States;
- constitutional change in Indonesia, and the creation of an independent East Timor;
- the rebuilding of Cambodia and continuing repression in Myanmar.
- There are positive signs. Neither South East Asia nor the Pacific faces an obvious external security threat; the damaged Asian economies are recovering; and in some troubled areas, collective action is helping to lower tensions. But there are challenges as well, including:
- increasing intra-state conflict;
- competition for marine resources in the waters around us;
- problems arising from weak governments;
- controlling global illegal trades.
- Circumstances can change. It is important to keep a close watch on developments of strategic importance. The Government will do this by way of regular assessments of:
- the strategic environment;
- military technology;
- regional capabilities;
- economic and social developments.
- These assessments, to be undertaken by appropriate Government agencies, will inform defence policy, capability formulation and planning, programming and budgeting actions. They will also inform what the Government wants the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to do, in New Zealand, in the region, and in the rest of the world.
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