ABSTRACT
The US-New Zealand dispute essentially concerns the operational character of the Australia, New Zealand, United States (ANZUS) alliance: the two countries disagree on the level and nature of defence cooperation within the ANZUS framework. The New Zealand action in denying port entry to friendly visits by allied ships, and the US reaction of imposing substantial restrictions on defence cooperation with New Zealand, have aroused considerable international interest because they entail the much broader issues of alliance management and commitments in the nuclear age. The subject of visits by nuclear-armed warships is impossible to ascertain because of the non-disclosure policy of the nuclear powers. The prevailing climate of political opinion has made it difficult for the American case to be communicated effectively to the New Zealand public. Port access is in fact peculiarly important to an alliance like ANZUS which exists in a maritime environment. A possible line of resolution is to distinguish nuclear-powered from nuclear-armed vessels in implementing anti-nuclear policy.
