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China deplores and opposes NZ's groundless accusation of 'foreign interference'

Global Times

By Chen Qingqing Published: Aug 21, 2025 10:00 PM

In response to a media inquiry on New Zealand's security service accusing China of being the most active country engaged in foreign interference in New Zealand, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday that China deplores and opposes it.

We urge relevant agency in New Zealand to stop spreading lies, stop creating misperception, and contribute more to people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries and the sound and steady development of bilateral relations, Mao said.

In recent years, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service has repeatedly spread disinformation, groundlessly framed and attacked China, smeared the normal friendly exchanges between various sectors of the two countries, and harassed and intimidated Chinese people in New Zealand, which shows relevant agency's ideological bias and Cold War mentality, the spokesperson said.

This does no good to mutual trust and runs counter to the two countries' consensus of enhancing people-to-people and cultural exchanges, Mao noted.

The Chinese Embassy in New Zealand on Thursday also firmly rejected and strongly opposed the newly released report by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service that claimed there are threats from China. The report, full of groundless speculation and baseless accusations, once again smears China, the embassy said, noting that the report is nothing less than a "textbook of disinformation" and may itself be the product of an upgraded version of foreign interference.

"New Zealand is facing the toughest national security challenges of recent times with increasing threats of foreign interference and espionage, particularly from China," Reuters reported, citing the report.

Non-interference in other countries' internal affairs is a fundamental principle of China's diplomacy. We resolutely oppose any country interfering in China's internal affairs in any form. As the saying goes, "Do not impose on others what you would not want for yourself. China has never interfered in the internal affairs of any country," the embassy said.

The purpose, though it pretends to be hidden, is in fact obvious: to sow suspicion and even fear among individuals, groups, and institutions involved in China-New Zealand exchanges and cooperation, to poison the friendly atmosphere, to undermine mutual understanding and trust between the two peoples, to obstruct the further development of bilateral relations, and to serve certain geopolitical agendas, the embassy said.

This is not the first time that New Zealand's intelligence service has targeted China and the Chinese community in the South Pacific country.

In September 2024, the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand lodged a serious representation with the New Zealand authorities over the harassment and intimidation of local Chinese community members by individuals claiming to be "New Zealand intelligence personnel" following its intelligence services' annual report, according to the embassy.

"It is believed that behind this lies a trend in which certain forces within New Zealand's current government are attempting to realign with the US-led Western anti-China camp. This group has been hyping up the so-called 'China threat'," Chen Hong, director of the Asia-Pacific Studies Centre at East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Thursday.

While they also acknowledge that China is New Zealand's largest trading partner, they are at the same time fabricating and exaggerating claims of China's "threat" to New Zealand. Their true intention is clear: to create a climate of tension, and produce a "chilling effect" that makes New Zealand society hesitant about cooperating with China, the expert said.

The essence of China-New Zealand relations is win-win cooperation. China has consistently advocated for advancing this relationship based on mutual respect, inclusiveness, a focus on cooperation, and the proper handling of differences. This approach serves the interests of both sides as well as our common interests, the embassy said.

It is regrettable that whenever China-New Zealand relations achieve new progress, some individuals, under the instigation and manipulation of external forces, jump out in an attempt to create interference and obstacles, undermining normal exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation between our peoples, enterprises, institutions, and local governments. Who is really interfering? The embassy asked.

The world sees it clearly. Whether such actions serve New Zealand's own interests, or those of some other force, is also clear to everyone, the embassy noted.