The New Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Maori woman, said her country is “uncomfortable” with expanding the role of the Five Eyes.

New Zealand does not wish expanding the role of the Five Eyes, a post-war intelligence grouping which also includes the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada, recently criticised by Communist China.

Beijing regime is New Zealand’s largest trading partner, and Foreign Affairs Minister Ms. Nanaia Mahuta informed in a speech that New Zealand sought a predictable diplomatic relationship.

New Zealand will find it necessary to speak out on issues where it does not agree with Communist China, including developments in Hong Kong and the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, she said in a speech on Monday to the government-funded New Zealand China Council.

Tattooed Māori woman studied social anthropology and Māori business development at the University of Auckland but unlike the majority of diplomats she has no background in history. She has been a member of Labor Party that has record of soft stance on the strategic issues.

In later comments to media reported by New Zealand’s Newshub, Ms. Mahuta said New Zealand didn’t favour invoking the Five Eyes for messaging out on a range of issues that really exist out of the remit of the Five Eyes.

We are uncomfortable with expanding the remit of the Five Eyes, she said.

Communist China’s foreign ministry has repeatedly criticised the Five Eyes, after all members issued a joint statement about the treatment of Hong Kong pro-democracy legislators in November.

Last year, the Five Eyes discussed cooperation beyond intelligence sharing, including on critical technology, Hong Kong, supply chains and the pandemic, according to a statement by Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne in 2020.