New Zealand's top spy, Andrew Hampton, has issued a warning about the growing influence of China in the Pacific region, highlighting the security risks associated with Beijing's expanding presence.

In a speech to the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Hampton reiterated that China aims to create competing regional frameworks and enhance its influence among Pacific Island states, which poses risks of foreign interference and espionage.

This concern is particularly pertinent following the Cook Islands' recent agreements with China, covering areas such as education, economy, infrastructure, fisheries, disaster management, and seabed mining.

Hampton noted that the focus of Pacific nations on economic and transnational crime issues has provided China with opportunities to forge strategic agreements linking economic and security cooperation.

He also mentioned that he had visited the Cook Islands to share sensitive intelligence on these risks with Prime Minister Mark Brown before the agreements were signed, and his agency will now intensify scrutiny of the ties between the Cook Islands and Beijing.

In addition to addressing China's influence, Hampton reaffirmed New Zealand's commitment to the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia.

He described the alliance as "the most enduring and significant intelligence-sharing partnership in our history," emphasizing that it has bolstered New Zealand's safety and security.

Despite past reservations about the alliance's role in non-security matters, New Zealand continues to value its participation in the Five Eyes, particularly in the context of rising geopolitical tensions in the Pacific.

Reuters