Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has landed in the Philippines as it prepares for the largest-ever joint military exercises with the US in response to China's assertiveness in the South China Sea.
It comes as Labour voices concerns New Zealand is getting too cozy with the US through the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine pact.
Luxon burnt around Bangkok in a Tuk Tuk on Wednesday night, capping off his whistle-stop tour.
He was then bound for the Philippines and bound for a much tougher test of the PM's foreign policy chops.
The Philippines bears the brunt of China's aggression in the South China Sea.
"Our wish in the South China Sea is that all parties respect international law," Luxon said.
The US and Philippines have just announced their largest ever joint military drills in the area will begin on Monday and for the first time those drills will take place outside Filipino territories.
The Australian Defence Force will also join in while New Zealand will participate as part of an international observer programme.
China has responded saying that this show of force by other countries will only aggravate tension and provoke confrontations.
The West is uniting in the face of China's growing assertiveness and the Philippines is at the epicentre.
Prime Minister Ferdinand Marcos last week met with both US President Joe Biden and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida amid accusations of China harassing Philippine ships in the South China Sea.
Biden vowed to defend the Philippines from attack.
"The United States defence commitments to Japan and to the Philippines are ironclad. They're ironclad," said Biden.
The US invited Japan to be a potential partner in its nuclear-propelled submarine and security pact with the UK and Australia. New Zealand is open to exploring it too.
Asked if he would go to the public to get their approval, Luxon said: "It's just way too premature. What we've got to do first and foremost is identify whether there is an opportunity or options for us to explore under Pillar 2."
Pillar 2 is expected to be about sharing technology. But back home Labour is accusing the Government of advancing Aotearoa’s AUKUS interest beyond what was promised.
"Well, they're making very strong noises that they’re going to join it," said Labour foreign affairs spokesperson David Parker.
"There hasn’t been much public scrutiny about what the risks and the benefits are of joining it. We think that’s a major shift in foreign policy."
But Luxon said there has been no change in position since when Labour was in government.
"Which is that all we’re saying is that we’re open to exploring opportunities under Pillar 2 under AUKUS."
Labour today hosted an anti-AUKUS panel.
"All of these statements being made about AUKUS being good for us are highly contestable," former Prime Minister Helen Clark said.
"Pillar 2 is fragrant methane-wrapped bullshit," said former Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Bob Carr.
Clark made the point that AUKUS is a pact "clearly aimed at China, our largest trading partner".
Luxon said: "What we’re saying is there’s a huge change within geostrategic competition within the Indo Pacific region... we want to make sure that we have security and peace within the region."
The Prime Minister says the only thing that’s changed about AUKUS is Labour’s retreat from it.
"It seems to have changed from what it was just 150 days ago when they were in government."
A rare diversion from New Zealand’s longstanding bipartisan approach to foreign policy.
