Relationship dossier
Brunei
New Zealand
Relationship assessment
Brunei and New Zealand maintain practical cooperation through trade and defence arrangements.
Brunei toward New Zealand
+30Brunei joined New Zealand in the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, creating a framework for trade cooperation. Brunei has also participated in bilateral defence cooperation with New Zealand under a memorandum of understanding.
New Zealand toward Brunei
+30New Zealand joined Brunei in the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, creating a framework for trade cooperation. New Zealand has also pursued bilateral defence cooperation with Brunei under a memorandum of understanding.
Overall relationship
+30The relationship includes trade cooperation through a shared plurilateral trade agreement and a bilateral defence cooperation framework. These arrangements support a cooperative relationship, though their breadth and practical implementation are uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Brunei and New Zealand have pursued practical cooperation through trade and defence arrangements. Both joined the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, and a bilateral defence cooperation memorandum has provided a framework for military ties. The relationship appears cooperative, although the scope and implementation of these arrangements are not fully clear.
Key developments
Brunei and New Zealand joined the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, establishing a framework for trade cooperation.
Brunei and New Zealand signed a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and recent implementation of defence cooperation are unclear.
- The scale and practical effects of bilateral trade cooperation are uncertain.