PremiumOpinionOpinion byJohn HowardNZ Herald·15 Jul, 2026 09:00 PM5 mins to readMajor General (retired) John Howard is a Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative. His report ‘Adrift – A Trading Nation, an Ageing Navy and the 2027 Frigate Decision’ is available at www.nzinitiative.org.nz. Every trade deal is a promise about ships.The Prime Minister announced plans for free trade agreements with seven more countries. Photo / Sylvie Whinray On July 5, the Prime Minister announced plans for free trade agreements with seven more countries, on top of the deal with India he signed in April.
The next day, a Chinese submarine fired a missile from the South China Sea into the Pacific. It splashed down between Nauru and
