China Rejects New Zealand’s Espionage Claims
China on Friday rejected allegations that it is conducting widespread espionage in New Zealand, accusing Wellington of exaggerating the threat and allowing a “Cold War mentality” to influence its assessment. . .
China on Friday rejected allegations that it is conducting widespread espionage in New Zealand, accusing Wellington of exaggerating the threat and allowing a “Cold War mentality” to influence its assessment of Beijing. The Chinese embassy in Wellington criticised New Zealand’s latest security assessment, saying it had “fabricated and hyped” claims about Chinese interference and espionage. The dispute follows the release of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service’s (NZSIS) Security Threat Environment 2026 report on Thursday. The assessment identified China as the most active foreign-interference actor in New Zealand and said it was the only country detected conducting espionage “at scale”. The report also warned that espionage and covert activities by foreign governments aimed at obtaining sensitive technology, influencing policy and gathering information were becoming increasingly common. Beijing strongly rejected the assessment. “False allegations against China either smear normal exchanges and cooperation as so-called espionage or interference, or are entirely groundless and fabricated out of thin air,” the Chinese embassy said in a statement. Beijing Accuses Critics Of Harming TiesThe embassy accused unnamed domestic and foreign forces of attempting to damage relations between China and New Zealand. It also questioned the timing of the intelligence report, saying its release was “no coincidence” and suggesting that the assessment itself could have been influenced by foreign interference. China urged New Zealand to work with Beijing to strengthen political trust and expand practical cooperation rather than allowing security concerns to dominate the relationship. The embassy said bilateral ties were based on “mutual benefit and win-win cooperation”, pointing to trade, employment and growing people-to-people exchanges between the two countries. China-New Zealand Trade TiesThe latest dispute comes despite strong economic ties between Beijing and Wellington. China remains New Zealand’s largest trading partner, with two-way trade reaching record levels in recent years. New Zealand’s intelligence agency, however, has increasingly warned that economic and technological links can also create opportunities for foreign states to obtain sensitive information or influence decision-making. The latest assessment said espionage and covert foreign interference were becoming more sophisticated, with countries seeking access to advanced technology, sensitive information and political networks. China has repeatedly rejected similar allegations from Western governments, arguing that they unfairly portray normal business, academic and people-to-people exchanges as security threats. The latest exchange highlights the growing tension between New Zealand’s close economic relationship with China and its increasing focus on national security and foreign interference. (with inputs from Reuters)