https://www.scmp.com/rss/509070/feed New Zealand formally established diplomatic relations with China in 1972. Since then, the relationship has grown to encompass a free-trade deal signed in 2008 and strong links in education and tourism, but the nations’ bilateral ties are not without points of friction. The smallest member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance, New Zealand has had to carefully balance national security concerns about China with economic connections to the country, its largest trading partner in goods and... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Dewey Sim Dewey Sim In the first few weeks of this year alone, the leaders of two of the five “eyes” in the world’s oldest intelligence-sharing alliance signalled they were ready to rethink their relationship with China. First came Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and then this week it was the turn of his British counterpart, Keir Starmer. And in both cases, the visits have prompted warnings from US President Donald Trump. As Western economies grapple with the unpredictability and at times hostility of the White... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341885/canada-and-uk-hit-refresh-china-ties-end-five-eyes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341885/canada-and-uk-hit-refresh-china-ties-end-five-eyes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Zhao Ziwen Zhao Ziwen New Zealand’s largest naval vessel was followed by seven Chinese warships in a deployment to East Asia last month, including a rare transit through the Taiwan Strait, according to the Pacific nation’s military. The HMNZS Aotearoa, a Polar-class replenishment vessel, was deployed to the East China and Yellow seas with allies, the New Zealand Defence Force said in a statement on Monday. “During the operation, the ship was shadowed by seven different People’s Liberation Army (Navy) warships, which... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335768/7-chinese-warships-followed-our-navy-vessel-its-east-asia-mission-new-zealand-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3335768/7-chinese-warships-followed-our-navy-vessel-its-east-asia-mission-new-zealand-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 09:59:04 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang New Zealand’s top diplomat is set to visit China next week as a state‑owned Chinese shipbuilder embarks on a multimillion-dollar interisland ferry upgrade for the Pacific nation. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters confirmed his trip on Wednesday, a month after Wellington said it had sealed a deal to buy two new ferries from Guangzhou Shipyard International to connect the country’s two main islands. Peters said he would travel to Guangzhou to “acknowledge” the NZ$596 million (US$337.2... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333412/top-new-zealand-diplomat-visiting-china-next-week-mark-us337-million-ferries-contract?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3333412/top-new-zealand-diplomat-visiting-china-next-week-mark-us337-million-ferries-contract?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 09:26:40 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou China and the Cook Islands have wrapped up their first joint scientific expedition in the South Pacific, a region emerging as a focal point in the geopolitical race for rare earths. The 4,000-tonne Chinese marine research vessel Da Yang Hao, one of the most advanced in China, docked at the Avatiu port near the capital Avarua on Saturday, about one month after a US research ship conducted a three-week survey in the region. Welcoming the Da Yang Hao to port, Sun Shuxian, the Chinese vice-minister... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332379/china-and-cook-islands-team-sea-survey-rare-earths-race-expands-oceans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3332379/china-and-cook-islands-team-sea-survey-rare-earths-race-expands-oceans?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 02:00:13 +0000 Vanessa Cai Vanessa Cai Beijing has criticised a cross-party group of New Zealand lawmakers for attending a reception held by Taiwan’s de facto embassy, saying they had violated the one-China principle. Last week, Chinese ambassador Wang Xiaolong wrote to a number of parliamentarians who had attended the October 24 event at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office to mark the foundation of the Republic of China, Taiwan’s official name. Wang warned them that their attendance breached New Zealand’s foreign policy and was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331747/beijing-hits-out-new-zealand-mps-attending-unacceptable-taiwan-reception?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3331747/beijing-hits-out-new-zealand-mps-attending-unacceptable-taiwan-reception?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Nov 2025 07:13:44 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Australia should lead the creation of a formal Five Eyes-style intelligence club in the Pacific amid China’s growing presence in the region, a prominent foreign policy think tank has suggested. Dubbed “Pacific Eyes”, the proposed intelligence-sharing alliance could help to plug institutional gaps that “external powers” – particularly Beijing – were eager to exploit, the Sydney-based Lowy Institute said in a report released on Tuesday. It recommended that the dedicated framework initially consist... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329818/pacific-eyes-intelligence-body-would-offset-chinas-growing-presence-region-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329818/pacific-eyes-intelligence-body-would-offset-chinas-growing-presence-region-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Oct 2025 11:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press New Zealand’s defence minister warned in an interview that small countries in the South Pacific face growing pressure from great power competition for their rare minerals and fisheries wealth, and that more action was needed from regional neighbours to help in preserving island nations’ sovereignty. Judith Collins, who also oversees New Zealand’s intelligence and space portfolios, spoke on Wednesday before departing for Washington, where she will meet Trump administration officials including... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3329139/new-zealand-seeks-us-help-protect-pacific-china-over-rare-minerals-fisheries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3329139/new-zealand-seeks-us-help-protect-pacific-china-over-rare-minerals-fisheries?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:25:59 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen China has rejected claims that it is a growing espionage threat to New Zealand, calling the suggestions in Wellington’s latest intelligence report “groundless” and “riddled with ideological bias”. In the annual report released on Thursday, New Zealand said it was facing its toughest national security challenges, with increasing threats of foreign interference and espionage. It said Beijing was the “most active” player in this interference, an escalation from last year when it labelled China a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322652/textbook-misinformation-china-rejects-new-zealand-security-report-accusations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3322652/textbook-misinformation-china-rejects-new-zealand-security-report-accusations?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 10:00:35 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Claims by the head of the FBI that China is a threat to the Indo-Pacific are groundless, Beijing said as the American security agency opened its first permanent office in New Zealand. “We strongly oppose any attempt to make groundless assertions or vilification against China out of the Cold War mentality,” the Chinese embassy in Wellington said on Thursday. “Such acts are against people’s will and are doomed to fail.” The comments came after the US Federal Bureau of Investigation announced it... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320391/beijing-denies-it-threat-fbi-opens-new-office-new-zealand-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320391/beijing-denies-it-threat-fbi-opens-new-office-new-zealand-counter-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Aug 2025 06:04:45 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow What began as a quiet series of infrastructure deals between the Cook Islands and China has erupted into a diplomatic stand-off, with New Zealand halting millions in aid and Pacific leaders accusing Wellington of “patronising” behaviour. New Zealand’s abrupt suspension of aid has cast a harsh spotlight on the country’s growing unease over China’s expanding Pacific footprint, drawing warnings from regional observers that the move risks appearing “coercive rather than constructive”. Wellington... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316148/cook-islands-aid-row-spotlights-chinas-pacific-outreach-new-zealands-mounting-unease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3316148/cook-islands-aid-row-spotlights-chinas-pacific-outreach-new-zealands-mounting-unease?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 00:00:10 +0000 Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen Orange Wang,Alyssa Chen China has “no fundamental conflict of interest” with New Zealand, President Xi Jinping told New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Beijing on Friday while calling for the constructive management of differences. “Both sides should adhere to mutual respect, seek common ground while acknowledging differences, and correctly view and manage their differences and disagreements,” Xi was quoted as saying by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. Just ahead of Luxon’s arrival in the Chinese capital... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315257/china-new-zealand-have-no-conflict-interest-xi-jinping-tells-christopher-luxon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3315257/china-new-zealand-have-no-conflict-interest-xi-jinping-tells-christopher-luxon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 10:57:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown on Friday condemned “patronising” neighbour New Zealand, which halted aid to the Pacific island nation after it signed a slew of deals with China. Major partner New Zealand has halted millions of dollars in aid to the Cook Islands, citing a “lack of consultation” over agreements struck with China in February. Self-governing Cook Islands has a “free association” pact with New Zealand, its former colonial ruler, which provides budgetary assistance as well as... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3315155/cook-islands-defends-china-deals-after-us11-million-new-zealand-aid-pause?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3315155/cook-islands-defends-china-deals-after-us11-million-new-zealand-aid-pause?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Jun 2025 04:20:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters New Zealand has suspended millions of dollars in budget funding to the Cook Islands, it said on Thursday, as the relationship between the two constitutionally-linked countries continues to deteriorate amid the island group’s deepening ties with China. A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement that New Zealand had decided in early June to suspend payment of NZ$18.2 million (US$11 million) in core sector support funding for 2025-26 as this “relies on a high-trust... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3314987/new-zealand-suspends-us1097-million-cook-islands-funding-over-china-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3314987/new-zealand-suspends-us1097-million-cook-islands-funding-over-china-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Jun 2025 00:58:30 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse China tried to mislead foreign governments in 2024 by playing down the importance of a nuclear-capable missile test over the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand diplomats privately warned in documents obtained by reporters. Beijing sent shivers through the South Pacific in September 2024, when its elite Rocket Force fired a dummy warhead into the high seas near French Polynesia. A tranche of classified government briefing notes shows deep concern within the New Zealand government in the wake of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3314874/classified-new-zealand-papers-detail-alarm-over-chinas-pacific-missile-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3314874/classified-new-zealand-papers-detail-alarm-over-chinas-pacific-missile-test?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2025 05:23:44 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow A newly minted military agreement between the Philippines and New Zealand reflects deepening defence cooperation among “like-minded democracies” and positions Wellington as a more active player in Southeast Asian security, but analysts caution that the move also marks a hawkish shift likely to strain ties with China. The Status of Visiting Forces Agreement, signed in Manila on April 30, paves the way for joint military exercises between the two nations. Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3309787/new-zealands-hawkish-china-turn-drives-its-expanding-asian-security-footprint?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3309787/new-zealands-hawkish-china-turn-drives-its-expanding-asian-security-footprint?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 May 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Noting the “serious headwinds” the global trade system faces with US President Donald Trump’s plan for widespread tariffs, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon called on Monday for Indo-Pacific nations to deepen their economic integration through free trade and strengthened supply chains. “Geopolitical calculations are being totally upended,” Luxon said in New Delhi, adding that the world was shifting from globalisation to hypernationalism and from “openness to xenophobia”. The Trump... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3302749/new-zealand-pm-says-trade-wars-will-cause-serious-headwinds-global-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3302749/new-zealand-pm-says-trade-wars-will-cause-serious-headwinds-global-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Mar 2025 20:03:32 +0000 Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification China recently conducted live-fire military drills in the Tasman Sea, between Australia and New Zealand. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that these drills, which led to the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3301509/why-china-conducted-naval-drills-waters-between-australia-and-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3301509/why-china-conducted-naval-drills-waters-between-australia-and-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Mar 2025 03:30:09 +0000 New Zealand’s top spy has warned of the security risks posed by China’s growing influence in the Pacific and said his agency would ramp up scrutiny of the Cook Islands after the nation deepened ties with Beijing. Security Intelligence Service Director General Andrew Hampton said the focus of Pacific nations on economic and transnational crime issues had opened the door for China to sign strategic deals with them that linked “economic and security cooperation”. China wanted to “create competing... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3301439/new-zealand-spy-chief-warns-about-chinas-influence-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3301439/new-zealand-spy-chief-warns-about-chinas-influence-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Mar 2025 06:30:08 +0000 China and New Zealand should become partners of mutual trust and address some specific differences through constructive dialogue, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his counterpart Winston Peters at a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday. “The two sides should maintain a correct understanding of each other … and further develop friendly cooperation and become partners who trust and support each other’s achievements,” Wang said, according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout. “For some specific... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3300336/new-zealand-fm-meets-chinas-wang-yi-beijing-raises-pla-live-fire-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3300336/new-zealand-fm-meets-chinas-wang-yi-beijing-raises-pla-live-fire-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Feb 2025 07:00:33 +0000 Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown survived on Wednesday a vote of no-confidence in parliament brought by the opposition over deals he struck with China that strained relations with New Zealand. Members of parliament voted 13-9 to defeat the motion introduced by the Cook Islands United Party. Two members abstained from voting. The government holds 14 seats in the 24-seat unicameral parliament while the opposition holds 10. Opposition lawmaker Teariki Heather, who moved the motion to oust... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3300179/cook-islands-pm-beats-no-confidence-vote-over-china-deals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3300179/cook-islands-pm-beats-no-confidence-vote-over-china-deals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Feb 2025 06:22:13 +0000 China’s “unprecedented” live-fire naval drills in waters between Australia and New Zealand have raised significant security concerns, with analysts suggesting that Canberra and Wellington are likely to step up air and maritime surveillance capabilities to better monitor Chinese naval activities. Both countries are also expected to invest in a wider range of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, including working with the United States and other partners. On Friday and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3300065/were-chinas-unprecedented-naval-drills-tasman-sea-signal-australia-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3300065/were-chinas-unprecedented-naval-drills-tasman-sea-signal-australia-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Feb 2025 09:13:14 +0000 China’s engagement with the Pacific has once again been placed under the microscope after the announcement that it signed a “strategic partnership” with the Cook Islands. This comes after a security agreement China signed with the Solomon Islands in 2022 and a proposed agreement involving 10 Pacific countries that was put on hold after objections from some Pacific states, significant pushback from Australia and tensions with the United States. Unsurprisingly, the news of the deal between China... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3299560/new-zealand-need-not-fear-chinas-growing-ties-pacific-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3299560/new-zealand-need-not-fear-chinas-growing-ties-pacific-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Feb 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Beijing’s defence ministry on Sunday accused Canberra of “deliberately hyping up” a Chinese live-fire drill off the Australian coast, saying it was “deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied” with the claim that it did not give enough notice. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday that Beijing had failed to give satisfactory reasons for what he called inadequate notice of a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) live-fire exercise in international waters near Australia a day... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3299801/china-slams-australia-hyping-pla-live-fire-drills-its-coast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3299801/china-slams-australia-hyping-pla-live-fire-drills-its-coast?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Feb 2025 09:09:42 +0000 The Cook Islands’ prime minister on Tuesday defended a new partnership pact with China and urged his country not to depend on handouts from “big brother” New Zealand. Prime Minister Mark Brown said the accord signed with Beijing offered his small Pacific nation opportunities in trade, infrastructure and the sustainable use of ocean resources. “We can choose to be a country that relies on handouts and is dependent on our big brother or we can choose to be a country that can stand on its own two... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3299108/after-china-deal-cook-islands-looks-beyond-big-brother-new-zealand-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3299108/after-china-deal-cook-islands-looks-beyond-big-brother-new-zealand-us?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2025 05:44:54 +0000 The Cook Islands has signed a comprehensive strategic partnership deal with China, a move expected to raise concerns in New Zealand with which it has constitutional ties. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown and Chinese Premier Li Qiang signed the deal in Harbin, the capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, Brown’s office said in a statement on Saturday. “This provides opportunities for our government, our private sector and our people to benefit from enhanced partnership... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3298813/cook-islands-says-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-deal-signed-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3298813/cook-islands-says-comprehensive-strategic-partnership-deal-signed-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Feb 2025 05:35:07 +0000 China stood ready for “in-depth” talks with the Cook Islands, Beijing said on Thursday, a day before a meeting between Premier Li Qiang and visiting Prime Minister Mark Brown. According to the Chinese foreign ministry, Brown will attend the closing ceremony of the Asian Winter Games on Friday in the northeastern city of Harbin, where he will also meet Li. “China is willing to take Prime Minister Brown’s visit as an opportunity to have an in-depth exchange of views with the Cook Islands and work... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3298583/china-ready-depth-talks-premier-li-qiang-set-meet-cook-islands-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3298583/china-ready-depth-talks-premier-li-qiang-set-meet-cook-islands-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:16:15 +0000 The Cook Islands, long tethered to New Zealand, is charting its own course – deepening ties with China in a move that has left Wellington “blindsided” and scrambling to reclaim its footing. At the heart of the matter is a major deal set to be signed between the Cook Islands and China this week, one that observers have called a “diplomatic victory” for Beijing and a potential turning point in the region’s geopolitical landscape. Prime Minister Mark Brown of the Cook Islands headed to Beijing on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3298319/china-cook-islands-and-new-zealands-struggle-influence-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3298319/china-cook-islands-and-new-zealands-struggle-influence-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Feb 2025 04:00:17 +0000 New Zealand said on Friday it had been “blindsided” by the Cook Islands’ plans to sign a major agreement with China and issue its own passports. Foreign Minister Winston Peters said he had not been consulted on the moves by the Cook Islands, a small, self-governing Pacific nation that has a “free association” with New Zealand. Wellington provides budgetary support and help on foreign affairs and defence to the former dependent territory, whose 17,000 people have New Zealand citizenship. “Out of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3297725/cook-islands-new-passport-move-china-deal-leave-new-zealand-blindsided?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3297725/cook-islands-new-passport-move-china-deal-leave-new-zealand-blindsided?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2025 03:43:26 +0000 Efforts by New Zealand, the United States and other allies against alleged China-linked espionage activities are “groundless and irresponsible”, Beijing said on Saturday, claiming that it had been a “main victim” of large-scale cyberattacks. The statement was in response to an advisory from New Zealand and its international partners Australia, Canada and the US earlier this week, warning that “threat actors [affiliated with the People’s Republic of China] compromised networks of major global... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289810/china-calls-cyber-spying-claims-groundless-frame-ups-west-issues-fresh-warning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3289810/china-calls-cyber-spying-claims-groundless-frame-ups-west-issues-fresh-warning?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Dec 2024 11:00:09 +0000 New Zealand’s top soldier said he is concerned about China’s increasing presence in the South Pacific and warned that the nation’s armed forces need to be ready for any eventuality. “I haven’t seen the world or the region in this kind of state, and that concerns me,” Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday in Wellington. “At some point we need to be prepared to make decisions which could see our sailors, soldiers and aviators going into harm’s way... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3289259/chinas-growing-presence-worries-me-and-it-should-says-new-zealands-defence-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3289259/chinas-growing-presence-worries-me-and-it-should-says-new-zealands-defence-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2024 04:31:07 +0000 New Zealand’s technology warning for companies and citizens working in China marks a “significantly hardened” stance, according to observers, who note the latest move is part of a “gradual overall deterioration” in ties between Wellington and Beijing. The warning also points to a growing rift between China and the West in the tech space, and Wellington’s reluctance to be seen as “a point of vulnerability” when it comes to transferring technology, experts say. On Tuesday, New Zealand intelligence... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3284703/new-zealands-tech-warning-reflects-significantly-hardened-stance-towards-china-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3284703/new-zealands-tech-warning-reflects-significantly-hardened-stance-towards-china-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2024 04:00:08 +0000 China’s top counter-espionage agency has accused New Zealand of “harassment and intimidation” in its investigations of Chinese nationals after Wellington released an annual security threat report that labelled China as a “complex intelligence concern”. The Ministry of State Security (MSS) condemned New Zealand for what it said were unfounded claims of a “Chinese intelligence threat”, adding that such actions harmed bilateral relations. The MSS said the allegations reflected New Zealand’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3280050/chinas-spy-agency-accuses-new-zealand-harassment-intimidation-chinese-citizens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3280050/chinas-spy-agency-accuses-new-zealand-harassment-intimidation-chinese-citizens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Sep 2024 09:02:11 +0000 New Zealand’s spy service branded China a “complex intelligence concern” on Tuesday and warned the Pacific nation was vulnerable to foreign interference. In an annual threat report, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service said several countries were undertaking “malicious activity” on its shores, but called out China’s attempts as “complex and deceptive”. “A small number of illiberal foreign states engage in foreign interference against as a tool for advancing their interests abroad,” it... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3276927/new-zealand-report-says-china-remains-complex-intelligence-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3276927/new-zealand-report-says-china-remains-complex-intelligence-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Sep 2024 21:39:53 +0000 The Chinese consulate in Auckland has urged the local police to investigate a “racially motivated” attack on a Chinese teenager. The 16-year-old was attacked by an unidentified person on a bus in the city at around 9am on Friday – a public holiday to mark Matariki, the Māori New Year. The boy has lived in New Zealand for seven years, according to The New Zealand Herald, which said he had been attacked by a woman with a metal bar. The boy, who did not want to be named, told the newspaper “a woman... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268764/chinese-student-targeted-racially-motivated-attack-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3268764/chinese-student-targeted-racially-motivated-attack-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jul 2024 14:01:30 +0000 China fortified its partnerships from trade to academic collaborations in the Asia-Pacific region during Premier Li Qiang’s recent visits to New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia, with attention centring around exchanges between Beijing and Canberra. Unlike New Zealand and Malaysia that employ a relatively mild approach towards China, Australia – as a more vocal member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance with Canada, New Zealand, Britain and the US – is seeking to strike a balance between... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3267836/premier-li-qiang-pushes-chinas-trade-academic-agenda-during-asia-pacific-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3267836/premier-li-qiang-pushes-chinas-trade-academic-agenda-during-asia-pacific-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Jun 2024 10:30:21 +0000 Premier Li Qiang has wrapped up a three-nation tour in Malaysia, which wants to deepen ties without taking sides between China and the United States. The visit celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Kuala Lumpur. This followed stops by Li in New Zealand and Australia, where the focus was partly on managing differences, especially with the latter. Li’s visit to Australia was the first by a Chinese premier since bilateral relations soured in 2017. Repairs that began with... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3267425/li-qiangs-three-nation-tour-repair-and-deepen-china-ties-has-positive-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3267425/li-qiangs-three-nation-tour-repair-and-deepen-china-ties-has-positive-results?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2024 16:20:40 +0000 China and New Zealand have agreed to deepen economic ties as Premier Li Qiang warned that both countries must stop their differences becoming a “chasm” between them. “China is committed to working with the New Zealand government to renew our long-standing friendship, carry forward the pioneer spirit and upgrade our comprehensive strategic partnership,” Li told a joint press conference with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Wellington. “We agree on the need to expand the scale of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266499/dont-let-our-differences-become-chasm-chinese-premier-li-qiang-urges-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266499/dont-let-our-differences-become-chasm-chinese-premier-li-qiang-urges-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2024 11:14:01 +0000 Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday his nation’s differences with New Zealand must not become a “chasm”, pledging greater trade and “friendship” after touching down in Wellington for rare bilateral talks. Li is embarking on a six-day tour of New Zealand and Australia, key trading partners that have become increasingly vocal critics of China’s expanding influence in the South Pacific. “It is natural that we don’t always see eye-to-eye with each other on everything,” Li told reporters after... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3266448/premier-li-qiang-pledges-more-trade-china-extends-visa-free-travel-new-zealanders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3266448/premier-li-qiang-pledges-more-trade-china-extends-visa-free-travel-new-zealanders?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Jun 2024 07:36:38 +0000 Chinese Premier Li Qiang will visit New Zealand this week, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday. Luxon said he looked forward to “warmly welcoming” Li in New Zealand this week and his visit would be a “valuable opportunity for exchanges on areas of cooperation between New Zealand and China”. “New Zealand and China engage where we have shared interests, and we speak frankly and constructively with each other where we have differences. Our relationship is significant,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266050/chinese-premier-li-qiang-visit-new-zealand-country-eyes-aukus-defence-pact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3266050/chinese-premier-li-qiang-visit-new-zealand-country-eyes-aukus-defence-pact?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:30:13 +0000 China’s top police chief hailed cooperation with New Zealand in fighting crime and the illicit drug trade during a meeting with that country’s police commissioner in Beijing on Monday, amid growing concern in Wellington over a surge in fentanyl use. Wang Xiaohong, China’s public security minister, said China and New Zealand achieved “fruitful results” in combating financial crimes, telecoms fraud and narcotics, according to a report by state news agency Xinhua. “For a long time, the law... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261738/fruitful-results-chinas-top-police-chief-hails-joint-crackdown-new-zealand-against-drug-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261738/fruitful-results-chinas-top-police-chief-hails-joint-crackdown-new-zealand-against-drug-trafficking?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 May 2024 09:43:54 +0000 China has urged New Zealand to end “megaphone diplomacy” and to turn to “constructive dialogue” to manage disputes with Beijing. “Regarding the differences between the two sides, China is willing to continue to handle them properly with the New Zealand side through constructive dialogue, rather than engaging in ‘megaphone diplomacy’,” the Chinese embassy in Wellington said in a statement on Saturday. China and New Zealand had different views, it said, but “the two countries have neither... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261472/stop-megaphone-diplomacy-china-urges-new-zealand-after-winston-peters-raises-pacific-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3261472/stop-megaphone-diplomacy-china-urges-new-zealand-after-winston-peters-raises-pacific-security?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 May 2024 08:00:12 +0000 New Zealand is “seriously concerned” by China’s increased interest in the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “China has a long-standing presence in the Pacific, but we are seriously concerned by increased engagement in Pacific security sectors,” Peters said in a speech to the New Zealand China Council on Friday in Wellington. “We do not want to see developments that destabilise the institutions and arrangements that have long underpinned our region’s security.” New Zealand’s new... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3261259/new-zealand-says-seriously-concerned-chinas-increased-pacific-security-presence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3261259/new-zealand-says-seriously-concerned-chinas-increased-pacific-security-presence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 May 2024 01:14:49 +0000 Australia’s former top diplomat Bob Carr will sue New Zealand’s foreign minister over incendiary allegations about the closeness of his ties to China, his office said Thursday. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters made several allegations against Carr in a radio interview, which the Australian ex-diplomat alleged were defamatory. “He is indeed taking legal action,” an aide to Carr said. Due to Australia and New Zealand’s punitive defamation laws, media outlets that had published or... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3261217/bob-carr-ex-australian-envoy-close-china-ties-sue-new-zealand-minister-winston-peters-over-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3261217/bob-carr-ex-australian-envoy-close-china-ties-sue-new-zealand-minister-winston-peters-over-china?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 May 2024 10:21:03 +0000 New Zealand and the US have pledged to work more closely together on common challenges, in a further sign that Wellington is realigning itself with traditional Western partners as China becomes more assertive in the Pacific. In a joint declaration signed on Thursday in Washington, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recommitted to the “historic partnership” between the two nations and the principles that underpin it, including the rule of law,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3258724/new-zealand-us-deepen-historic-partnership-tackle-china-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3258724/new-zealand-us-deepen-historic-partnership-tackle-china-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Apr 2024 02:02:28 +0000 New Zealand expects China to respect its right to an independent foreign policy as it explores joining the Aukus security pact between Australia, the US and UK, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. While Beijing has expressed concerns about Wellington signing up to Aukus, Peters said he does not anticipate any threats to curtail trade from New Zealand’s largest export customer. “I do not expect economic coercion from stating what they promised me we had a right to do – state our own independent... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3257017/new-zealand-hopes-avoid-china-economic-blowback-it-mulls-joining-aukus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3257017/new-zealand-hopes-avoid-china-economic-blowback-it-mulls-joining-aukus?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Mar 2024 03:00:47 +0000 Hackers linked to the Chinese government launched a state-sponsored operation that targeted New Zealand’s parliament in 2021, officials said on Tuesday. New Zealand’s allegation comes a day after US and British authorities announced a set of criminal charges and sanctions against seven hackers, all believed to be living in China, who targeted US officials, journalists, corporations, pro-democracy activists and the UK’s election watchdog. Both New Zealand and Australia have condemned the broader... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3256736/new-zealand-accuses-china-hacking-parliament-following-us-uk-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3256736/new-zealand-accuses-china-hacking-parliament-following-us-uk-allegations?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Mar 2024 05:06:06 +0000 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand this week has been welcomed as a “charm offensive”, but observers note there has been no effort to disguise “significant differences” between Wellington and Beijing. During a meeting on Monday with his New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters at the start of a tour that will also include Australia, Wang said his side was willing to work with New Zealand to deepen trade and economic ties and address climate change. The highest-ranking Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3255969/new-zealand-and-china-still-have-significant-differences-despite-wang-yis-charm-offensive-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3255969/new-zealand-and-china-still-have-significant-differences-despite-wang-yis-charm-offensive-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Mar 2024 00:00:12 +0000 China’s ties with New Zealand are “a force for stability” in a turbulent world, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday, as he began a five-day tour that will also include a visit to Australia. On Monday Wang held meetings with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, his New Zealand counterpart Winston Peters and Trade Minister Todd McClay in the capital Wellington, describing New Zealand as a “rational and mature partner” to China. China’s ties with New Zealand had been “at the forefront of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3255852/china-and-new-zealand-are-force-stability-turbulent-world-says-foreign-minister-wang-yi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3255852/china-and-new-zealand-are-force-stability-turbulent-world-says-foreign-minister-wang-yi?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Mar 2024 13:36:47 +0000 China’s foreign minister will co-host a strategic talk during his visit to Australia next week amid improving relations, with the likely removal of tariffs on Australian wine looming large after nearly three-and-a-half years. It is part of Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia from March 17-21, Beijing announced on Thursday, confirming an earlier report by the Post. Beijing is widely expected to reduce some trade barriers that were imposed in the past few years as relations deteriorated... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3255405/china-australia-wine-trade-barriers-seen-falling-foreign-minister-wang-yi-confirms-trip-down-under?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3255405/china-australia-wine-trade-barriers-seen-falling-foreign-minister-wang-yi-confirms-trip-down-under?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2024 11:01:02 +0000 China has urged New Zealand not to “harm its own security interests” after Wellington said it had engaged the Aukus security partnership about cooperation on cyberwar, AI and hypersonic weapons. Chinese defence ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said on Thursday that Aukus was established for “selfish geopolitical interests” that “undermined the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and triggered arms races” in the region. “We urge the parties … to refrain from going further and further... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3253716/wong-path-china-warns-new-zealand-over-aukus-security-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3253716/wong-path-china-warns-new-zealand-over-aukus-security-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Feb 2024 12:59:08 +0000