New Zealand facing demands for sharper anti-China line Over the past week, New Zealand’s Labour Party-led government has faced further attacks from the Australian and British media, and sections of the NZ media and political establishment, for its perceived failure to fully align with the US-led preparations for war against China. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden speaking at a press conference in September 2020. (Image Credit: Jacinda Arden/Facebook) New Zealand is a close ally of the US and a member of the top-level Five Eyes intelligence sharing network that includes the US, UK, Australia and Canada. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government, since it first came into office in 2017, has supported Washington’s militarisation in the Into-Pacific region, which is aimed at encircling China and maintaining US dominance through war if necessary.