US Secretary of Defense marks Auckland arrival with bloody Shakespeare quote

For the first time in seven years, a US Secretary of Defense has arrived in New Zealand. 

On Monday afternoon, Mark Esper touched down at Auckland Airport on a Boeing aircraft operated by the United States Air Force. 

He is just 13 days into his new role in the Trump administration. 

Speaking from the Hilton on Auckland's waterfront, Esper said he felt an "extra burden" on the trip considering how long it had been since New Zealand had received a visit from the US Secretary of Defense. 

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"Our national defense strategy makes clear, the Indo-Pacific region is our priority here and the United States does have an enduring commitment ... much based on common interests and values," Esper said.

"New Zealand and the United States share a vision of the future based on values of sovereignty, peaceful conflict, resolution, international world law, and freedom of navigation." 

Esper went on to talk about the "shared sacrifice" of American and New Zealand troops which he said is marked in Washington DC.

A hallway in the Pentagon pays homage to the military cooperation of the two countries, especially New Zealand's World War II troops, and is marked by a quote, he said. 

"At the end of the corridor, you'll find words from William Shakespeare's play Henry V which captures the nature of our friendship forged in combat with that famous quote 'whoever sheds his blood for me today shall be my brother,'" Esper recited.

His trip to New Zealand is part of a five-nation tour. 

The main topics expected to dominate talks are China's growing influence and major security concerns around Iran, two university academics say.