Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to New Zealand took an unexpected turn when he avoided addressing questions from local journalists about “foreign interference” during a media event in Auckland. New Zealand lawmakers have called for an investigation into foreign interference following recent revelations.
According to a report by the mainstream New Zealand media outlet Stuff on June 14th, Li Keqiang’s visit included a visit to a plant and food research center where media were only allowed to take photos and videos but not ask questions. During a signing ceremony with Christopher Luxon, when a reporter from Stuff TV asked about New Zealand’s spy activities, Li Keqiang did not respond and was escorted out of the building by officials.
After the documentary “The Long Game” by Stuff Circuit exposed incidents of abduction and attempted kidnapping on New Zealand soil, lawmakers in New Zealand have urged the establishment of a special committee to investigate “foreign interference”.
Co-chairs of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Ingrid Leary and Joseph Mooney, sent a letter on Friday to Tim van de Molen, the chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defense and Trade Committee, outlining their concerns and stating that there may be more instances of foreign interference yet to be uncovered.
“The committee will focus on recent reports by media outlets like Stuff, which have made serious allegations of kidnapping, attacks, and harassment. It has been reported that the Parliament’s own computer system was hacked, and prior to this, several lawmakers and a scholar were also targeted,” they wrote.
“As co-chairs of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, we are particularly concerned about foreign interference, not limited to China. Our member countries, whether in New Zealand or around the world, are increasingly worried about instances of state-backed interference,” they further pointed out.
They also highlighted the growing foreign interference in democratic countries abroad, particularly activities by Russia and North Korea in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The organization further revealed in May that prominent scholars Anne-Marie Brady, former Labour Party MP Louisa Wall, and former National Party MP Simon O’Connor were targeted by hackers in a 2021 attack backed by the Chinese government.
Following the controversial investigation into foreign interference after the 2016-2017 elections, the New Zealand Parliament released a report in 2019 and passed new legislation in 2020 to restrict foreign political donations. However, China was not identified as a threat actor. In August 2023, the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) report specifically named China, Russia, and Iran as countries engaged in foreign interference in New Zealand.
In March of this year, New Zealand intelligence publicly accused the Chinese Communist Party of launching cyber attacks on the parliamentary adviser offices and parliamentary service department, undermining New Zealand’s interests. During a press conference, people were urged to increase awareness of foreign espionage and interference threats.
SIS Director Andrew Hampton stated, “The most enduring foreign interference activities in New Zealand are conducted by China (the CCP).”