In September 2024, the New Zealand Values Alliance delivered a petition to Parliament that called on the government to launch a comprehensive inquiry into China’s foreign interference activities in New Zealand and the Pacific.
The petition’s urgency stems from a recent report by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, which branded China as a “complex intelligence concern” engaging in foreign interference activities targeting Chinese communities in New Zealand.
“NZSIS (New Zealand Security Intelligence Service) has publicly acknowledged that China is a “complex intelligence concern” that carries out foreign interference and that the People’s Republic of China targets New Zealand’s Chinese communities,” the petition said.
“We believe that NZ Chinese communities do not feel safe in NZ because of this interference. We feel that it is having a corrosive impact on NZ democracy, NZ’s national security, and regional security. We believe New Zealand needs to face up to the problem.”
The NZSIS indicated that New Zealand’s geographical location and its role within the Pacific region render it “vulnerable” to the ambitions of other nations seeking to expand their influence.
“The point is not to alarm anyone but to alert New Zealanders to the threats so that we can work together to manage them,” Director-General of Security Andrew Hampton said.
China continues to be New Zealand’s largest trading partner, exporting billions in dairy, meat, and wood products, according to the latest official statistics.
The petition launched by the New Zealand Values Alliance currently has 1000 signatures.