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Orange Wang

Four New Zealand lawmakers who were handed travel bans by Beijing for visiting Taiwan have been accused of crossing a “red line” by the Chinese embassy in Wellington.
The ban – which covers mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau – was condemned by the New Zealand and Australian governments, which said they would lodge a formal protest.
The party, which visited the island in early May, included three members of the ruling centre-right coalition – National MP Maureen Pugh, David Wilson from NZ First and ACT’s Laura McClure – as well as one opposition MP, Labour’s Duncan Webb.
During the visit, they met a number of officials, including the island’s deputy leader Hsiao Bi-khim, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung and legislative speaker Han Kuo-yu, from the opposition Kuomintang.
On Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said: “Recently, certain New Zealand members of parliament, disregarding China’s serious concerns and firm opposition, wilfully paid a visit to China’s Taiwan region, violating the one-China principle and interfering in China’s internal affairs.
“In accordance with relevant laws of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese side has decided to adopt measures against the individuals concerned, including denial of entry into China.”
On their return, the four MPs were notified by the New Zealand Parliament that the Chinese authorities had imposed a one-year travel ban, public broadcaster RNZ reported on Thursday.
It added that the Chinese embassy had indicated the sanctions could be reduced or lifted if the MPs apologised.
Hours later, the embassy said the MPs had been given “repeated warnings” before their visit and “the New Zealand side should not be surprised [by the ban]”.
It added that the visit had had a “serious adverse political impact” and sent the “wrong signals” to Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party and pro-independence forces.
“MPs are not ordinary citizens. China has consistently opposed visits to China’s Taiwan region by members of the legislatures of countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, including New Zealand, and this case is no exception,” the embassy said.
“We urge the relevant parties to genuinely respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and strictly uphold the one-China principle. Whoever crosses the red line on the Taiwan question will face the consequences.”
But New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said he was “surprised” by the ban, adding it was the first time Beijing had imposed travel bans on New Zealand MPs over a visit to Taiwan.

He said he had told foreign ministry officials to discuss this matter with the Chinese “to express concern at this departure from past practice and to better understand it”.
McClure said her visit to Taiwan was a standard cross-party trip and no different from other visits.
She said the Chinese embassy told her that the travel ban could be lifted if she apologised for visiting Taiwan, but she refused.
“I am disappointed because New Zealand has a long history of travelling to Taiwan, and we have those cultural ties, and we also have the economic ties, they are one of our trading partners,” McClure said.
“This is clearly a threat or an intimidation tactic towards New Zealand members of parliament who travel freely to Taiwan.”
Webb also said New Zealand had a long-standing practice of MPs visiting Taiwan, and such visits were important for maintaining ties.
Formerly a visiting researcher at the University of Hong Kong’s law school, he said the ban would make his continued academic associations with Hong Kong difficult.
The two countries have long-standing trade ties – New Zealand was the first developed economy to sign a free-trade agreement with Beijing, and China is the country’s top export and import market and largest goods trading partner – but in recent years there have been recurring tensions over security and other issues, including Taiwan.
Beijing lashed out at a cross-party group of New Zealand lawmakers in November for attending a reception hosted by Taiwan’s de facto embassy.
In March, the embassy in Wellington issued a lengthy and strongly worded statement, when Australia and New Zealand said after a ministerial meeting that they were committed to deepening economic and cultural ties with Taiwan.
The embassy urged “all countries, including New Zealand, to earnestly honour their one-China commitment, handle Taiwan-related matters with prudence, refrain from any form of official interactions with the Taiwan region and send no erroneous signals to [separatist forces]”.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed “concern” over the travel ban, telling a Senate committee: “Australian officials will also make representations on this, both in Beijing and Canberra, including our view that placing pressure on parliamentarians is not appropriate.
“We agree with the principle expressed by New Zealand that members of parliament, including the Australian Parliament, are free to make their own decisions about travel.”
She added that parliamentary visits to Taiwan were a long-standing practice and consistent with Australia’s one-China policy.
Seven Australian MPs visited Taiwan earlier this year but the response from Beijing was notably more muted than its reaction to the New Zealanders and it did not issue a travel ban.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon are due to meet in Queensland on Saturday for their annual two-way summit.


Luxon said their discussion would include how to “align our efforts in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region”.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China and has never ruled out the use of force to reunite it with the mainland.
Australia and New Zealand, in common with most countries, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state.
Additional reporting by Matthew Cheng


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New Zealand and Australia to lodge formal protests after the four lawmakers were sanctioned for ‘sending the wrong signals’


New Zealand and Australia to lodge formal protests after the four lawmakers were sanctioned for ‘sending the wrong signals’.


Beijing slaps travel ban on New Zealand MPs for ‘crossing red line’ with Taiwan visit

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}New Zealand and Australia to lodge formal protests after the four lawmakers were sanctioned for ‘sending the wrong signals’

New Zealand and Australia to lodge formal protests after the four lawmakers were sanctioned for ‘sending the wrong signals’