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China-New Zealand relations
ChinaDiplomacy

Stop megaphone diplomacy, China urges New Zealand after Winston Peters raises Pacific security worries

  • Chinese embassy in Wellington says Beijing has no hidden agenda or military intentions in the South Pacific
  • New Zealand’s foreign minister says he is seriously concerned about China’s security presence in the region

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New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters (right) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Wellington in March. Photo: AFP
Sylvie Zhuangin Beijing
China has urged New Zealand to end “megaphone diplomacy” and to turn to “constructive dialogue” to manage disputes with Beijing.
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“Regarding the differences between the two sides, China is willing to continue to handle them properly with the New Zealand side through constructive dialogue, rather than engaging in ‘megaphone diplomacy’,” the Chinese embassy in Wellington said in a statement on Saturday.

China and New Zealand had different views, it said, but “the two countries have neither historical grievances nor conflicts of interest in reality, the consensus and common interests between the two sides far outweigh the differences”.

“The essential complementary nature of the interests between the two countries and the willingness for good cooperation remain the mainstream of bilateral relations,” it said.

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The embassy’s call came after New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Friday that he was “seriously concerned” by China’s security presence in the Pacific. It was among a range of issues, including human rights, tensions in South China Sea, and cyberattacks, that Peters raised in a speech to the New Zealand China Council.
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