North Korea is not the only risk in our Indo-Pacific backyard - and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon used his final day in Japan to highlight the threat China poses.
He said he raised Beijing's support of Moscow with China's Premier last week and, when asked if he'd consider sanctions against the powerful state, he said not "yet".
In Tokyo, just 1300km away from Pyongyang, tension from North Korea's alliance with Russia is in the air.
"New geostrategic realities have made our region more complicated, more chaotic and more challenging to navigate," Luxon said in a speech.
North Korea's nukes saw Luxon on Tuesday commit to sending New Zealand Defence Force ships to Japan for the first time to monitor UN sanctions against the rogue state.
"Elsewhere, it is clear that a serious escalation in the Taiwan Strait, or... the East China Sea, would have profound consequences for New Zealand and Japan, our region and for the world," Luxon said.
On Wednesday, Luxon said what is usually the quiet bit out loud, one of those threats was the C-word - China.
Japan is a vocal critic of China - there are reports it's considering sanctioning Chinese firms suspected of providing materials to Russia which could be used in its war against Ukraine.
And the head of NATO has said there were ongoing conversations with member countries about possibly sanctioning China.
"[That's] not something discussed yet," Luxon said of New Zealand's position on the matter.
Amelia Wade analysis
No discussions "yet" - that three-letter word has the potential to send a shiver down the spine of New Zealand's economy.
China is New Zealand largest trading partner and, in the past, has retaliated to sanctions. Its import ban on Australian coal in 2021 wiped $1 billion from the Australian economy.
