New Zealand has raised concerns with China over “increasing tensions” near Taiwan and the South China Sea, where the regime in Beijing has been aggressively enforcing its territorial claims.
The officials had in-depth discussions on regional and international issues, with Mahuta “expressing concerns over developments in the South China Sea and increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” it stated.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regards Taiwan as a renegade province that must be united with mainland China by any means necessary, even as Taiwan has been a self-governing democracy since 1949.
The CCP invokes its “nine-dash line” to claim much of the waters of the South China Sea and has been aggressively enforcing its declaration by positioning coast guard vessels and imposing fishing bans.
“I emphasized Aotearoa New Zealand’s interest in a peaceful, stable, and resilient Pacific region and the importance of engaging through existing regional institutions and arrangements, in particular on regional security matters,” Mahuta said.
She relayed the New Zealand government’s “deep concerns” regarding the human rights situation in China’s Xinjiang region, home to Uyghurs and other minorities, and the “erosion of rights and freedoms” in Hong Kong.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine was also raised, with Mahuta asserting that New Zealand condemns Russia’s action and that it “would be concerned by any provision of lethal aid in support of Russia’s illegal war.”
