Admiral: US ships won't come until NZ drops nuke ban

Admiral Timothy Keating will meet Prime Minister John Key. Photo / Mark Mitchell

United States and New Zealand military co-operation is in its best shape since the break-up of Anzus, but a top US military officer still wants the ban on nuclear-powered ships lifted.

Admiral Timothy Keating, head of US military forces in the Pacific, said warming relations meant more training exercises were going on now than at any time since the mid-1980s.

Training exercises between the two countries require presidential waivers and Admiral Keating said it was easier to get these in areas such as disaster relief, weapons proliferation and security initiatives.

"We are anxious to increase the level, quantity and quality of training with New Zealand defence forces," Admiral Keating said during a three-day visit to New Zealand.

Defence relations between the two countries were virtually frozen after the nuclear ban was imposed in 1984. But since 2001, both countries have been increasingly putting the issue aside to improve relations in other areas.

Despite this, the United States Navy continues to refuse to send even non-nuclear powered ships to New Zealand ports and Admiral Keating said as far as he knew neither side was thinking about changing its stance.

"Whether it's nuclear powered or conventionally powered we would rather come here than not.

"But I don't think New Zealand's policy is going to change and ours is not going to change."

It was not a major impediment, but the US Navy "was not going to come soon".

There were areas - the "positive side of the relationship" - where the countries could work together.

Admiral Keating said the growth of the Chinese military was something to be monitored, but the US did not consider China to be a threat.

"We work closely as we can with China, we don't want them to become a threat ... and I don't think China wants to threaten anyone."

The US wanted to co-operate with China, but it still had to be "watched" as it was developing weapons and capabilities that "don't support the notion of peaceful rise and harmonious integration".

He would not give details of these capabilities, but said it was a matter of what China did with them.

Link between China and the United States were growing, and the US was hoping for further engagement so China's intentions could be understood and "avoid becoming a threat".

The American military was able to defending its homeland, and would do so from any country's missile system if ordered to by the President.

Admiral Keating's three-day visit includes meetings with defence chiefs, Government ministers and Prime Minister John Key.

- NZPA