FBI Director Kash Patel praised Australia as a critical ally as the bureau expands its fight against the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) there and in New Zealand.
Patel made the statement upon returning from a discreet visit to both countries at the end of July, a trip that included the opening of a new standalone office in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington.
The FBI said that its office in Australia’s capital, Canberra, had been used to quietly operate out of Wellington since 2017, but with a standalone office now open there, the FBI was now able to cover more of the South Pacific, including Antarctica, Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands, and the Kingdom of Tonga.
“Our team just returned from high-level meetings with our Five Eyes partners to deepen intel-sharing, strengthen joint counterterrorism and cyber efforts, and push back against the CCP’s growing aggression in the Indo-Pacific,” he added in his post. “This is how we prepare to keep threats off our shores- before they ever get here. Thank you to our Australian partners for the renewed vision of teamwork against our adversaries.”
“The FBI has had a strong relationship and collaborated closely with our counterparts in New Zealand for years,” said Patel in the press release. “Expanding the Wellington office demonstrates the strength and evolution of our partnership as we continue to work together to address our shared security objectives in the region.”
Five Eyes consists of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It was founded in 1946 to share intelligence and coordinate security efforts.
Working with New Zealand partners, the FBI said it would address not just threats of the CCP, but also general foreign intelligence threats as well as criminal activities such as terrorism, cybercrime, fraud, money laundering, and child exploitation.
Meanwhile, the Chinese regime’s embassy in Wellington condemned Patel’s remarks, calling them “groundless assertions” and evidence of “a Cold War mentality.”
However, after her meeting with Patel, New Zealand Attorney General Judith Collins, who oversees the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, told her country’s parliament that she did not expect a response from China.
“This is our country, our sovereign right to do what we do,” she said.
“I think the point is that it’s a US administration decision, and we’re happy to support it. It works well for New Zealand, it’s in our best interests.”
Naziya Alvi Rahman and Rex Winderstrom contributed to this report.
