Relationship dossier
France
New Zealand
Relationship assessment
A strategic partnership shaped by cooperation and the lasting legacy of the Rainbow Warrior bombing.
France toward New Zealand
+35French agents bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland in 1985, causing a major rupture with New Zealand. France later participated in a settlement of the dispute, and the two governments established a strategic partnership that includes defence and Pacific cooperation.
New Zealand toward France
+35New Zealand pursued a settlement after French agents bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland in 1985. The two governments later established a strategic partnership covering areas including defence and cooperation in the Pacific.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship combines a substantial cooperative framework, including a strategic partnership, with the serious historical breach caused by the 1985 bombing of the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland. The dispute was settled and ties restored, but the episode remains a defining bilateral issue.
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
France and New Zealand maintain a strategic partnership covering areas including defence and cooperation in the Pacific. The relationship was severely damaged when French agents bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland in 1985; the dispute was followed by a settlement and restoration of ties. The historical rupture remains a significant feature of an otherwise cooperative relationship.
Areas of tension
- The 1985 bombing of the Rainbow Warrior by French agents in Auckland.
- French nuclear testing in the Pacific, which contributed to tensions with New Zealand.
Key developments
French agents bombed the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland, killing photographer Fernando Pereira and causing a major rupture in relations.
France and New Zealand reached a settlement of the Rainbow Warrior dispute following international mediation.
France and New Zealand established a strategic partnership encompassing areas including defence and Pacific cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and implementation of current defence and Pacific cooperation are unclear.