Willis exposes the trade-security tug-of-war in New Zealand's China policy

Finance Minister Nicola Willis told RNZ on 7 July that New Zealand must condemn China's South Pacific missile test while acknowledging China is the country's largest trading partner. "We have to walk a careful path," she said, balancing security values against economic interests in dairy, forestry and horticulture. Her candid framing exposes what Wellington officials have typically left implicit: that trade and security relationships with Beijing pull in opposing directions.