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‘Friends’ angered by NZ-US plan to spy on China
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The leaders of New Zealand’s main China friendship organization expressed dismay yesterday at reports that spy agencies from New Zealand and the United States planned to hack into Chinese diplomatic communications in Auckland.
Senior members of the New Zealand China Friendship Society attacked the country’s Prime Minister John Key’s attempt to downplay the alleged plan, which was revealed in documents from US National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Edward Snowden.
“If there’s any truth in this, I hope the New Zealand government will have the courage and decency to apologize and commit to not continuing with these actions,” said the society’s national president Dave Bromwich.
The society has been working for 60 years to build ties with China and the allegations undervalue that work, he said.
“I would have to say that, assuming these allegations are true, it shocks me and disappoints me,” Bromwich said.
“I really query why they think they can get away with it. I don’t think it’s the sort of thing we as a country should be involved in.
“We should value our neutrality. This is not a friendly action,” he said.
George Andrews, national vice president of the society’s northern region, said he and his fellow regional members had been frequent and welcome guests at functions at the Chinese Consulate and visa office in Auckland.
“We would never have dreamed that the contacts between the consulate and the visa office would have been invaded in this way,” he said.
“It seems to me an affront to the consulate and the relationship between us.”
Andrews said he was disappointed at the argument that such spying was “routine these days” and he dismissed Key’s claim that the Snowden documents were stolen and unconfirmed.
“Saying they are not confirmed is about the lamest response imaginable. It reflects the hollowness of the position they’re trying to defend,” he said.
The friendship society was formed in 1952 by followers of Rewi Alley, who helped China during its war against Japanese aggression, and maintained contacts between the two countries until diplomatic ties were established in 1972.
The Herald on Sunday newspaper reported that the plan to tap data flowing between the Chinese Consulate and its visa office in Auckland was run by New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau and the NSA.
According to an April 2013 document, the plan had verbal approval, the report said.
But it is unknown if it went ahead because, as a sign-off was being sought, Snowden walked out of his job with a mass of top secret documents.
The Chinese embassy in New Zealand on Sunday issued a statement saying China was concerned about the report and attached great importance to the issue of cyber security.
Key on Monday said his country had a very open relationship with China and that he welcomes any discussions about the reported spying incident.
Asked in a television interview if plans were under way to spy on Chinese communications, he said: “I’m not going to go into those details.”
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