The United States’s Federal Bureau of Investigation has upgraded its presence in New Zealand to a standalone office in the capital, Wellington, as both governments work together to counter Chinese influence across the Asia Pacific region, the FBI’s Director Kash Patel said.

Patel travelled to New Zealand to open the office personally and on Thursday praised the FBI’s “strong relationship” with local law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Patel singled out US and New Zealand collaboration on issues related to China in a video shared by the US embassy.

“Some of the most important global issues of our times are the ones that New Zealand and America work on together – countering the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] in the Indo PACOM theatre, countering the narcotics trade, working together against cyber-intrusions and ransomware operations and, most importantly, protecting our respective citizenry,” Patel said.

The US and New Zealand are both members of the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing network, which includes Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. They also collaborate on other issues such as organised crime, cybercrime, drug trafficking and child exploitation.

The FBI has maintained a presence in New Zealand since 2017, but the standalone Wellington office marks a major upgrade in the US agency’s presence and will oversee the bureau’s work in Antarctica, Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands and Tonga.

Both governments have previously expressed concern about China’s growing presence in the Pacific region and Beijing’s successful campaign to expand its diplomatic and economic reach.

Washington fears that the Chinese military could one day build an overseas base in the Pacific region, which has been traditionally considered the US’s back yard.

Minister Judith Collins, who is responsible for New Zealand’s intelligence services, and the country’s Police Minister Mark Mitchell both said they welcomed the FBI’s decision as it would help “keep New Zealand safe and secure”.

Patel yesterday met with Collins, Mitchell and a handful of senior government ministers, including Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, according to local media.