China accuses New Zealand of harassing its citizens at airports

Chinese embassy says it lodged a ‘serious representation’ implicit interrogations and seizures of physics devices.

China has accused New Zealand of harassing its citizens by subjecting them to unjustified seizures of physics devices and interrogations astatine the country’s borders.

China’s embassy successful Wellington said connected Tuesday it had lodged a “serious representation” with the authorities implicit “unwarranted behaviour and harassment” by information and quality personnel.

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A Chinese national transiting astatine a New Zealand airdrome was precocious interrogated “without cause” and had his idiosyncratic integer devices confiscated, immoderate of which were not returned, the embassy said successful a connection connected societal media.

The incidental followed respective reported cases of Chinese citizens experiencing “similar harassment during introduction oregon transit successful New Zealand”, the embassy said.

The embassy demanded that “such wrongful acts cease immediately” and “a safe, fair, and non-discriminatory situation beryllium provided for the Chinese students, tourists, and different travellers” entering oregon transiting done New Zealand, according to the statement.

The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), the country’s main bureau for quality intelligence, said its operations are carried retired successful accordance with the instrumentality and are taxable to robust oversight.

“When we prosecute with individuals arsenic portion of immoderate operational activity, this is done professionally and successful accordance with our mandate and ineligible authorities,” the quality bureau said successful a statement.

The NZSIS added that it has a longstanding argumentation of not discussing “what whitethorn oregon whitethorn not beryllium circumstantial areas of operational focus, oregon individuals”.

China is New Zealand’s apical commercialized partner, with two-way commercialized past twelvemonth worthy $22.9bn.

In June, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping successful Beijing, wherever helium hailed the “strong and innovative” economical narration betwixt their countries.