China slams ‘groundless’ espionage claims by New Zealand spy agency

China's embassy in Wellington dismissed as "groundless" allegations made by New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service (SIS) that Beijing had intensified its espionage activities within the country. An annual report by the SIS had warned that China was conducting espionage against New Zealand "at scale". In reaction, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Wellington criticized the SIS as part of a broader trend of "attacks, slander, and vilification" directed at China.

The spokesperson stated that the SIS's accusations against China either misrepresented normal exchanges and cooperation as espionage or were entirely fabricated. This response follows an incident where the Chinese embassy had lodged an official complaint over Foreign Minister Winston Peters' remark to a Chinese-born lawmaker that he should "go back to your own country".

The embassy also accused unnamed entities in New Zealand of being "pawns for anti-China forces". The SIS had earlier warned that Beijing's spies were attempting to recruit individuals with access to state secrets through professional networking sites. The agency claimed to have thwarted a plan by the Chinese military-linked Purple Mountain Observatory to covertly establish a Ground Based Space Infrastructure (GBSI) in New Zealand.

The local company involved, though not named, was potentially unaware that the equipment could gather "military value" intelligence. The report noted that it was not the first attempt by the organization to set up such equipment in New Zealand, and it was unlikely to be the last.