Aware of China-linked intelligence activity in New Zealand: Wellington

The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) said on Friday (August 11) that it was aware of intelligence activity linked to China in and against New Zealand and the Pacific region. In its report "New Zealand's Security Threat Environment 2023," the NZSIS said this was a complex intelligence concern for Wellington. The intelligence service's report was made public for the first time as part of a government shift to better inform New Zealanders about risks the country is facing, and comes two months before a general election where foreign policy is being pushed into the electoral spotlight.

"This report highlights the activities of three states in particular: the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia," the report said. "NZSIS has detected interference activity from several foreign states. Most notable is the continued targeting of New Zealand’s diverse ethnic Chinese communities. We see these activities carried out by groups and individuals linked to the intelligence arm of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)," it added.

'International security environment more challenging'

The NZSIS report further said that the international security environment in which New Zealand is operating is now more challenging and less predictable than has been the case in recent decades.

"Strategic competition is contributing to this unpredictability, evident in both a growing assertiveness from China and in international reactions to that assertiveness, as well as through largescale conflicts such as Russia’s illegal military invasion of Ukraine," it added.

'Strongly dissatisfied with report': China

The Chinese embassy in New Zealand said that it was strongly dissatisfied with the NZSIS report, adding Beijing was conducting normal exchanges with overseas Chinese citizens by international law.

In a statement, the embassy said China hoped that relevant countries could create an open, inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese citizens overseas and local Chinese.

The Russian embassy, meanwhile, criticised New Zealand's "interference" in Russian internal affairs by commenting publicly on the imprisonment of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

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