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China-New Zealand relations

Tech warning a sign of New Zealand’s ‘hardened’ stance towards China: analysts

Warning shows Wellington’s reluctance to be seen as ‘a point of vulnerability’ in tech transfer amid growing China-West rift, experts say.

1 Nov 2024 - 12:24PM

Beijing hits back at New Zealand ‘intelligence concern’, alleges ‘harassment’

27 Sep 2024 - 5:48AMvideocam

New Zealand spy report calls China ‘a complex intelligence concern’

3 Sep 2024 - 3:40PM

Chinese student targeted in ‘racially motivated’ attack in New Zealand

The teenager was attacked by a woman carrying a metal bar while travelling on a bus in Auckland last week.

1 Jul 2024 - 10:44PMvideocam

The teenager lost three teeth in the attack. Photo: Weibo

What did Premier Li’s Asia-Pacific tour do for China’s trade, academic agenda?

Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia, with attention centring around exchanges between Beijing and Canberra.

24 Jun 2024 - 6:30PMvideocam

Editorial | Li Qiang’s three-nation tour to repair and deepen China ties has positive results

Stops by Chinese premier in New Zealand and Australia were partly to manage differences, but Malaysia visit strengthened relations

21 Jun 2024 - 12:24AM

Don’t let divisions become a chasm, Chinese Premier Li Qiang tells New Zealand

Li tells Prime Minister Christopher Luxon that it’s ‘natural’ the two countries won’t always see eye-to-eye on everything

13 Jun 2024 - 9:28PMvideocam

Premier Li Qiang and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon watch a welcoming ceremony in Wellington. Photo: AFP

Premier Li pledges more trade as China extends New Zealand visa-free travel

Li told Prime Minister Christopher Luxon differences between the two sides should not become a ‘chasm’ as he promised more investment.

13 Jun 2024 - 3:36PM

Chinese Premier Li Qiang to visit New Zealand as the country eyes Aukus pact

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he looks forward to ‘warmly welcoming’ Li amid ‘challenging global outlook’

10 Jun 2024 - 5:49PM

China’s top police chief hails joint narcotics crackdown with New Zealand

Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong says ‘candid communication’ between security agencies has helped curb narcotics trade.

7 May 2024 - 5:43PM

A US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chemist checks confiscated powder containing fentanyl in New York. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Stop megaphone diplomacy, China says after New Zealand raises Pacific worries

Chinese embassy in Wellington says Beijing has no hidden agenda or military intentions in the South Pacific.

5 May 2024 - 4:00PMvideocam

New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters (right) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Wellington in March. Photo: AFP

New Zealand says ‘seriously concerned’ by China’s Pacific security presence

Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Wellington do not want to see developments that ‘destabilise’ the region’s security.

3 May 2024 - 9:14AMvideocam

Ex-Australia envoy sues New Zealand minister over comments about his China ties

Australia’s former top diplomat Bob Carr will sue New Zealand’s foreign minister Winston Peters over incendiary allegations about the closeness of his ties to China.

2 May 2024 - 6:21PM

‘China is the target’: New Zealand, US deepen ties to tackle Pacific challenges

Foreign Minister Winston Peters and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored the need to work together on common challenges ‘more urgently and concertedly’.

12 Apr 2024 - 10:02AMvideocam

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters (left) and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on April 11. Photo: AP

New Zealand hopes to avoid China economic blowback as it mulls joining Aukus

Foreign Minister Winston Peters urged Beijing to respect Wellington’s right to an independent foreign policy, saying ‘Aukus is about looking after our own defence’.

28 Mar 2024 - 11:00AMvideocam

An Australian navy submarine takes part in a biennial maritime exercise in Darwin, Australia. Photo: Australian Defence Force/Getty Images/TNS

China denies hacking

27 Mar 2024 - 3:30PM

New Zealand accuses China of hacking parliament following US, UK allegations

New Zealand’s government said its cybersecurity bureau had established links between a Chinese state-sponsored actor known as APT40 and malicious cyber activity targeting the country’s parliament.

26 Mar 2024 - 1:06PM

New Zealand, China laud stable ties despite ‘significant differences’

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit comes amid a tilt by New Zealand towards US and Australian defence policy, and concerns that Wellington could join Aukus.

20 Mar 2024 - 8:13AM

New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters (right) shakes hands with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a bilateral meeting at Parliament in Wellington on Monday. Photo: AFP

China and New Zealand are a ‘force for stability’, says foreign minister

Wang hails the strength of the relationship at the start of a trip to the region that will also include a visit to Australia.

19 Mar 2024 - 5:26PM

China-Australia wine barriers seen falling as Wang Yi confirms trip down under

The Chinese minister’s visit will begin on Sunday, and Australian wine companies are getting production lines ready for a resumption of exports to China that is expected to be imminent.

14 Mar 2024 - 7:01PMvideocam

‘Wrong path’: China warns New Zealand over Aukus security cooperation

Chinese defence ministry says Wellington risks harming its interests by engaging trilateral partnership.

29 Feb 2024 - 8:59PMvideocam

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Aukus is an alliance between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Photo: Reuters

New Zealand dairy products can enter China duty-free in line with FTA

Imports of milk powder were subjected to the longest phase-out under the New Zealand-China free trade agreement signed in 2008.

1 Jan 2024 - 10:11AM

Cows from a milking shed at a dairy farm at Opiki, Manawatu, New Zealand. Photo: NZME

China’s carbon reduction goal won’t take a bite out of food industry until 2030

China has set a goal of reaching peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030, but a report says it is likely to delay efforts to deliver on agricultural sustainability goals until then.

4 Dec 2023 - 6:26PMvideocam

New Zealand set to maintain China ties but Aukus issue could complicate

China is one of Wellington’s key foreign policy priorities as it remains New Zealand’s biggest trading partner.

28 Nov 2023 - 1:12PM

With new China-friendly PM, how will New Zealand balance the big powers?

New PM Chris Luxon is set to pursue warmer China ties, but he has to balance expectations from New Zealanders and the Five Eyes, while Aukus could also constrain his moves.

6 Nov 2023 - 10:29AMvideocam

New Zealand’s National Party’s leader Christopher Luxon addresses his supporters in Auckland on October 14. Photo: Xinhua

New Zealand leans towards pragmatism

The country’s leader-elect, Christopher Luxon, does not see China as the bogeyman, setting the stage for improved ties that put business first.

23 Oct 2023 - 5:00AM

Prime Minister-elect Christopher Luxon of New Zealand addressing his supporters in Auckland, this month. Photo: Xinhua

New Zealand’s National Party to lead new government as Labour concedes

Christopher Luxon will be New Zealand’s next prime minister and is expected to form an alliance with the libertarian ACT Party.

14 Oct 2023 - 8:49PM

Opinion | From China to Aukus, New Zealand’s voters need foreign-policy answers

New Zealand’s parties campaigning in the general election should inform voters about their foreign policy positions ranging from China to trade.

6 Oct 2023 - 2:38PM

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China-New Zealand relations

New Zealand formally established diplomatic relations with China in 1972. Since then, the relationship has grown to encompass a free-trade deal signed in 2008 and strong links in education and tourism, but the nations’ bilateral ties are not without points of friction. The smallest member of the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance, New Zealand has had to carefully balance national security concerns about China with economic connections to the country, its largest trading partner in goods and second largest overall including services. Although New Zealand joined international criticism of the Hong Kong national security law and has condemned alleged human rights abuses of Uygurs in Xinjiang, the two nations upgraded their free-trade pact in January 2021.

last updated:

15 October, 2024