Government’s ‘No phone call from China’ story looking shady

The government must come clean on the real reason why it cancelled a meeting with pro-democracy campaigners from Hong Kong, says New Zealand First Leader and Northland MP Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“Labour’s foreign affairs spokesperson David Shearer has revealed he was put under pressure by a political advisor from the Chinese Embassy on Tuesday to cancel his meeting with campaigners Martin Lee and Anson Chan, but it went ahead.

“Oddly, the government denies it was contacted by China before cancelling its meeting at the last minute with the pair.

“Could it be possible that China would only call an opposition party, and not the government? The answer is: unlikely.

“Minister Gerry Brownlee told Parliament yesterday: ‘No, there was no communication between the Deputy Prime Minister's office or any Chinese official prior to the cancellation of the meeting’.

“Deputy Prime Minister Bill English later said foreign affairs officials advised that the meeting be cancelled because it would distract from Foreign Minister Murray McCully’s current talks in Beijing and would be diplomatically sensitive.

“The New Zealand public has a right to know if a foreign power is leaning on our government and other elected representatives.

“It looks very much like the National government is being sparing with the truth around this matter.

“They are displaying a reluctance to be honest with the New Zealand public to show the true extent of China’s efforts to interfere.

“This is worrying given there have been numerous problems over Chinese border control regulations, dodgy plumbing and steel products, and pressure on reputable Kiwi exporters like Zespri.”

ENDS

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