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Abstract

The ‘Five Eyes’ is an alliance between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America where members work cooperatively on foreign intelligence matters for the benefit of their respective national security. Using neorealist theory and borrowing from related disciplines, this security-focused dissertation seeks to undertake an exploration of Oceanic members’ (Australia and New Zealand) relations with China, especially alleged interference conducted by the state, to consider potential impacts on the alliance arising from same.
The dissertation opens by outlining how both Oceanic nations have made themselves vulnerable to China through strategic economic and geopolitical entanglements, before describing how China is allegedly spying and attempting to interfere within both nations in support of its policy ambitions. To explore existing, yet under researched, allegations of interference, a quantitative thematic analysis is then undertaken to compare how newspaper ‘items’ in each Five Eyes member portray China (total n=200). The study finds that Oceanic items portrayed China more positively than other member state counterparts, with New Zealand’s noted for strong depictions of apparent economic benefits and uniquely failing to portray the risk of domestic espionage. Important cautions, based on a number of factors, are however provided around these results with the dissertation stopping short of completely ratifying any interference allegations.
By blending historical precedent, geopolitical trajectories and both the quantitative and qualitative results of the study, and underpinned by neorealist security theory, this dissertation submits that whilst Oceanic strategic vulnerabilities remain a concern, it is New Zealand and its inaction to the threat of China that is the principal on-going risk to the alliance. The dissertation closes by proposing that New Zealand’s continued membership may be endangered should it fail to counter the threat before recommending that it should follow steps taken by Australia to begin confronting the issue.

Course: Risk and Security Management - BSc (Hons) - C1565

Date Deposited: 2021-11-05

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis13741.html