3 months ago
14
China rejected
New Zealand
's claim that Beijing carries out
foreign interference activities
against Wellington’s diverse
Chinese communities
and called the
security threat report
"entirely baseless and sheer fabrication."
New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service (
NZSIS
) has released a report accusing China of carrying out foreign interference activities.
The report also said the level of foreign interference activity in New Zealand “remains an ongoing concern”, with a small number of foreign states conducting interference and espionage in and against the country and its people.
While it said a number of states “undertake malicious activity here”, the NZSIS called the
PRC
a “complex intelligence concern”.
Slamming New Zealand, Chinese embassy's spokesperson said, "These allegations are entirely baseless, as they are nothing but a figment of imagination or sheer fabrication, and reflect ideological bias and Cold War mentality, which we firmly reject and strongly oppose."
Talking about the importance of Chinese diaspora in New Zealand, the embassy called "the report’s blatant attempts to discredit the Chinese diaspora and students are nothing but an effort to sow discord, create fear, and foster division. This is highly irresponsible, reckless, and deeply unfair to the Chinese community. We believe that fair-minded people in New Zealand will not endorse such views, and those who seek to create panic and division will not succeed."
Beijing was accused of infiltrating local groups, replacing authentic community views with those approved by the ruling party.
Recalling China's Premier Li Qiang visit to New Zealand, the Chinese embassy said that this year the relationshi between the two countries mark the 10th anniversary. He also said that despite both nations are working together to implement the outcomes of this visit for the benefit of their peoples, certain forces remain unwilling to see the relationship stable.
"This year marks the tenth anniversary of the China-New Zealand Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. In June, Premier Li Qiang made a successful visit to New Zealand, during which the two sides reached a series of new agreements. Both nations are now working to implement the outcomes of this visit for the benefit of their peoples. However, it is regrettable that certain forces remain unwilling to see the healthy and stable development of China-New Zealand relations. Whether driven by misconception, ulterior motives, or external influence, these forces keep attempting to create divisions and even confrontation between China and New Zealand," embassy said in a statement.
New Zealand had earlier also attacked China, accusing the later of sponsoring a group for a 2021 malicious cyber attack that infiltrated sensitive government computer systems.
