Over the last few weeks the issue of Chinese influence in New Zealand has yet again raised its ugly head. There was a small rally planned at Auckland University in solidarity with the protesters in Hong Kong. This rally’s organizers were publicly confronted with pro-Chinese communist interlopers, and in the confrontation a female protester was assaulted by a pro-china student. Afterwards the Chinese Consulate in Auckland flagrantly called this suppression of speech an act of “spontaneous patriotism” blatantly disrespecting our country’s internal affairs and right to free speech. The actions of the Chinese consulate were largely ignored by our political class, with them only making timid statements on how China is ‘expected’ to respect our free speech and our laws.
This yet again brought to the fore the often-ignored issue of the influence of the Chinese Communist Party in our political, academic and economic system.
As all of these systems in our country are primarily profit-driven, it has been quite easy for China to buy influence at the expense of the people of New Zealand. This influence has become disgustingly obvious in our current corrupt political system. We will have a deeper look into this influence in our political system, especially our two major parties.
The National Party is the the most compromised political party in New Zealand, and the Labour Party is not far behind.
It isn’t hard to see National is compromised and controlled due to their actions (or inaction) in the previous government. Their refusal to do anything about Chinese investors during the height of the housing crisis, their refusal to do anything about mass migration, and National prioritizing trade with China over human rights concerns all point to a government totally in bed with the Chinese Communist Party.
In 2017 amidst the election campaign it was revealed that National MP Jian Yang had lied on his visa when he originally immigrated to New Zealand. He had worked in a People’s Liberation Army spy training school and was a Communist Party member. This received minimal corporate media attention, as they were focusing on the much more sensationalist stories such as a Green Party Co-Leader lying to get more benefit money and how it is sexist to ask Jacinda if she plans to have a baby. In the end, the National party successfully swept this under the rug, and Jian Yang is a National MP to this day.
In 2018 an even more shocking revelation came to light. Amidst the Jami-Lee Ross saga, it was revealed that now National Party leader, Simon Bridges, had taken an undisclosed $100,000 donation from businessman Zhang Yikun, a man who still has direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party. This donation was made so Zhang could get two of his pro-China cronies on the National Party electoral list. This blatant act of political corruption was yet again ignored by the corporate media, in favour of the worthless headline that Bridges had called a backbencher ‘fucking useless’.
Even though National is completely beyond redemption we cannot forget our other major party, the Labour Party. It was Labour under Helen Clark that initially signed the China-NZ free trade agreement that set off the ongoing Chinese economic takeover of New Zealand. Current Auckland Mayor and long-time Labour frontbencher, Phil Goff, was trade minister during this period. It shouldn’t be surprising that an anonymous $100,000 donation came directly from China during his Auckland mayoral campaign. With this in mind it should be even less surprising that the Auckland Council greenlit a hotel, constructed by a Chinese Company Fu Wah, by entirely Chinese workers to be built right on the Auckland water front. Phil Goff is by far one of the most corrupt and despicable people in New Zealand politics.
If we continue on our current track of bi-partisan appeasement it won’t be long before our political system is compromised beyond any chance of redemption. In a few short years, even suggesting that undue Chinese influence exists will send the entire establishment crashing down on you.
Voting in elections is pointless. Democracy is only for those who can afford it $$$$$$$$$$$$$
If you’re a cuck then by means vote, but you’ll gain nothing by propping up the sack of rotten apples that is the NZ Parliament.
I’ve been watching CGTN on Sky’s basic package. I recommend this if you want to learn about Chinese propaganda. Every day they are talking about the protests in Hong Kong.
Still, if I had to choose between America’s Forever Wars ™ or cooperation with the Chinese, I’d take the latter. China is another empire that wants to expand but at least they do what’s in their country’s interest. China works for China; Russia works for Russia; America works for Israel; New Zealand and Australia work for the US or China depending on the occasion.
There is a faction on the Right that sees China as an ally against American global hegemony. However, China has adopted the Late West’s economic model and has proceeded on an uncontrollable juggernaut of growth that will self-destruct. Further China aims to lead globalisation, not present an alternative to it; its leaders consider China the centre of the world, as did imperial China, and it is particularly notable that global plutocracy is an enthusiastic investor in China, following on from David Rockefeller when he visited China in 1972 and praised Mao’s ‘great experiment’.
Well-researched, timely article.