New Zealand Prime Minister Cancels Club Dinner Hosted by Pro-China Group

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins speaks during a tree planting ceremony at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on April 26, 2023. A ceremonial tree planting was held at Parliament to mark the beginning of "He Ra Rakau Tītapu—King Charles III Coronation Plantings." Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins canceled his plans to attend a dinner party with a pro-China group last week.

According to the New Zealand online news publication Newsroom, the dinner was hosted by the New Zealand Chinese Business Club (NZCBC) and presented by a major Chinese liquor brand. The NZCBC was founded by former Member of Parliament (MP) Yang Jian, who stepped down from office in 2020. Posters promoting the dinner showed Hipkins and MP Ginny Anderson as guest speakers and the Auckland Business Chamber as co-organizer.