By Lincoln Tan of 
Paul Young is alleging Chinese interference in his campaign. Photo: Supplied / Facebook
An Auckland ward councillor is alleging there is overseas interference from China behind an effort to smear his reputation and keep him out of local government.
Taiwanese-born Paul Young, who is running for re-election in Auckland's Howick Ward, said a Chinese spy was sent to his campaign launch last Saturday.
He also believed a "pro-China candidate" standing against him, Morgan Xiao, belonged to an "overseas interference operations" group aimed at swaying the election results.
A spokesman from the Chinese Embassy is refusing to comment, saying the local elections was "NZ's internal affairs, and our embassy does not interfere".
Xiao and another candidate, Maurice Williamson, a former National MP and Local Government Minister, have rubbished Young's claim.
Maurice Williamson. Photo: Getty Images
"If you really believe the Communist Party in China could be interested in a Howick ward election, then you'd be more likely to believe the Loch Ness monster is swimming in Half Moon Bay," Williamson said.
Young became the first ethnic Chinese ward councillor after winning the Howick by-election following the death of Dick Quax in 2018.
At his campaign launch last Saturday, Young claimed a Chinese spy was sent there to photograph attendees and document what was said.
"She was taking photos of the faces of the people who attended the launch, clearly she was not there to listen to what we have to say," he said.
According to Young, the woman was later identified as a 66-year-old former Chinese army officer and a member of the CCP who is married to a member of China's National Security Bureau.
Young said he had been given documentation stating that the woman was closely related to the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese Consulate here.
However he said the accuracy of the report could not be verified.
"She joins many Chinese associations here, forcibly instilling and disseminating the impact of the Communist Party," the report said.
It said someone who did not support the party's objectives had rumours spread about them on WeChat social media groups and had their names put on an "anti-China" list and reported to the Consular office.
Young said his opponent Xiao has been "spreading rumours" and accusing him of being "pro-Taiwan independence", and that Xiao was also belonged to a group involved in overseas interference operations.
On Chinese social media, Xiao accused Young of being a supporter of Taiwan independence and said a vote for him would be a betrayal to the Chinese.
China considers Taiwan as part of its territory and a recent visit to Taiwan by the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has deteriorated relations sharply.
Xiao said Chinese would be wasting their votes if they voted for Young, and that Young had not been doing his job of speaking up for the community at Council meetings.
In 2019, Xiao, who was a Labour Party member, also stood in the local elections, called academic Professor Anne-Marie Brady and other critics of CCP influence here "son of bitches" and "anti-China forces".
Young wants Xiao to "explain his purpose and why he chose to circulate misinformation to the Chinese community and selected leaders".
He said photos had been collected from his personal Facebook page including participation in a local Taiwanese Society event to support the impression that he was supporting Taiwan independence.
Young clarified that as a New Zealand citizen, he followed the government's one-China policy.
Xiao rejected claims that he received any support from China.
"My campaign is quiet and I only have 10 billboards, all paid for by myself," he said.
"I have never been in any (overseas interference) groups from China, but according to Paul Young's own writing, he works closely with the Chinese consulate ... is he a spy?"
Williamson, a former MP for Pakuranga who resigned as a minister in 2014 after revelations that he had contacted police to discuss the prosecution of a constituent and National Party donor Donghua Liu, believed Young was making these claims "to get media attention".
"I don't believe in conspiracies or secret people watching us and so on. They might try to get some military secrets if you're the defence minister, but I don't think so, I don't think China sees New Zealand as a big military threat," Williamson said.
"But when you get to the Howick ward of the Auckland Council, there is nothing of any value that could ever be accumulated and it blows my mind that anybody could think that way."
Williamson said he did not see China as thinking that the mechanism to reunite Taiwan was "to go down to Howick and get the local councillor out".
He believed Young was making these statements to just get media attention.
"What he says is fanciful, but it's just not credible. For what would China do that, that should be the question, for what?" Williamson said.
"I think this is just a good way to get media attention really, name recognition is everything in local politics because you don't have political parties ... so it's all about getting your name out and be recognised."
Young had also gone to the media saying nearly 20 of his campaign billboards have been defaced, with his face erased with white paint or cut out.
The Herald was aware that this also happened to other candidates' billboards in the ward, including Williamson's.
Williamson is standing alongside sitting councillor Sharon Stewart.
Young, who had Stewart's backing last election, has grown closer to Goff and his team this term.
* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.
