China rejects New Zealand 'at scale' espionage allegations

The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) identified the People's Republic of China as the sole state detected conducting espionage "at scale" against Wellington, targeting critical assets including intellectual property and innovative technology. The report alleged that Chinese intelligence officers had pursued current and former government officials with access to classified material, stating that multiple foreign states target New Zealand but only Beijing does so systematically.

Beijing's denial

The Chinese Embassy in Wellington dismissed the allegations as "groundless" and "fabricated out of thin air," insisting the claims smear normal diplomatic and economic exchanges. "Its false allegations against China either smear normal exchanges and cooperation as so-called espionage or are entirely groundless and fabricated out of thin air," the embassy said in a statement posted on Facebook, adding that the timing constitutes "no coincidence."

Foreign interference claims

An embassy spokesperson characterized the report as part of a "new wave of attacks, slander and vilification against China orchestrated by certain international forces," suggesting the document itself may represent foreign interference in New Zealand's affairs. The spokesperson accused unnamed actors within and outside Wellington of spreading disinformation to create tensions and undermine public trust in bilateral relations.

Warning to Wellington

The embassy warned that "manufacturing distractions in foreign relations will not solve New Zealand's own problems — it will only prove counterproductive." In pointed remarks, the spokesperson urged hostile forces not to "quench their thirst with poison, and not to lift a rock only to drop it on their own feet," stating that Wellington must work with Beijing or "the responsibility for any consequences that may arise will not rest with the Chinese side."