July 31 (UPI) -- The FBI has for the first time opened a dedicated office in New Zealand, officials announced Thursday. FBI Director Kash Patel traveled to the country this week to open the office in Wellington, which will house a dedicated law enforcement attache office.

The FBI has opened a standalone office in New Zealand's capital in part to improve the United States and New Zealand's ability to counter China's presence in the Pacific region, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Thursday.

FBI Director Kash Patel provoked diplomatic discomfort in New Zealand by suggesting the opening of a new office in the capital aims to counter China’s influence, drawing polite dismissals from Wellington and ire from Beijing.