New Zealand’s Ardern reaffirms its stance on nuke submarines

New Zealand's prime minister Jacinda Ardern has reaffirmed her country's long-standing policy of not allowing nuclear-powered vessels in its waters, saying that the rule was well understood in Australia.

Asked by 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson if there were any circumstances in which an Australian nuclear-propelled submarine might dock in a New Zealand port in the future, Ms Ardern said the policy was set.

She said that she's only ever encountered understanding and appreciation of that position.

We're going to continue to do so because we've taken a strong, principled position. That doesn't change the relationship we have with Australia or their understanding of our position. Ms Ardern has been in Australia this week for her second meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well as meetings with state premiers.

Australia plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, but not nuclear-armed, some time in the 2030s or 2040s through a technology transfer under the AUKUS security pact with the United Kingdom and the United States.

A contract with a specific supplier is yet to be finalised.

The UN's nuclear watchdog is the International Atomic Energy Agency IAEA's director-general, Rafael Grossi, who has been in Australia this week for preliminary talks on the technical details of an inspection regime for future submarines.

In this case, it is a complex thing to do because we are talking about a vessel that goes out in the seas for long periods of time, Mr Grossi said.

We have to find ways around that fact in order to be able to tell our inspectors if the nuclear material loaded into the ship is there when it comes back to shore. Ms Ardern was also asked about a recent security pact between the Solomon Islands and China, which some analysts warn could provide a pretext for the basing of Chinese troops or vessels in the Pacific Island nation.

The Solomon Islands government has never ruled out a military base.

We're very clear that we're opposed to the militarisation of the region. But look, you know, we can take that position in a country-neutral way, Ms Ardern said.

Asked if New Zealand would join Australia in boosting its defence capability in response to China's military expansion, Ms Ardern said it was up to Australia to explain its rationale for its defence strategy.

Ferguson asked the New Zealand PM if she had moved beyond neutrality on China, citing her participation in the recent North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NATO talks.

NATO has declared China a security challenge for the first time in its official strategic documents.

It is important not to confuse the term 'country-neutral' with neutrality, or not entering the fray on foreign policy issues as they emerge, Ms Ardern said.

The point we're making is that we have a very strong set of values when we talk in that way.

It is not about targeting one individual country.

If we see others who don't share those values and breach the international rules-based order, we will speak up about that. Ms Ardern said she had pushed back on the idea that the Solomon Islands deal had blindsided Australia and New Zealand and represented an intelligence failure.

She said that it doesn't acknowledge the sovereignty of Pacific Island nations to determine their own relationships.