Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
One of the country's leading China experts says she is in no doubt a trip to China by New Zealand police was a foreign influence operation.
More than 30 police staff visited China in October in what police say was a "private, self-funded trip" to increase cultural competency.
But the trip had all the hallmarks of a political influence operation, political scientist Anne-Marie Brady said.
The last two NZSIS threat assessments, from 2023 and 2024 - the first to be publicly released as part of a bid by the spy agency to be more open in the wake of the mosque terror attacks - identified China as the major source of foreign interference activities.
"I'm very surprised New Zealand police don't appear to be taking good advice from the SIS, or even reading their threat assessments perhaps," Brady said.
"If they did, as soon as they saw there was even the possibility of this incident, they wouldn't have permitted it."
The trip would also exacerbate mistrust of the police by some Chinese New Zealanders, such as people of Tibetan descent, Uyghurs, and dissidents, she said.
"We have very vulnerable communities in New Zealand who don't feel safe here because China's Ministry of State Security has personnel operating openly in New Zealand, harassing people.
"We also have many other incidences of foreign interference via proxy groups, such as when China's Premier Li Qiang visited and people working with the CCP proxy groups intimidated some of the people peacefully protesting, and New Zealand police took no action against some quite egregious examples of people being pushed around and kicked, and an incident of foreign interference."
The trip came as changes to the Crimes Act which address foreign interference were in front of Parliament, Brady noted. If introduced, they would see police in charge of enforcing the new laws.
Police Assistant Commissioner Tāmaki Makaurau Sam Hoyle confirmed in a statement that police took part in "a private trip" to China "encouraging cultural competency" in October.
All participants were on annual leave at the time and paid for travel costs and expenses themselves, he said.
Those who attended reported an "incredibly positive and beneficial experience".
The trip was organised by Auckland police ethnic responsiveness manager Jessica Phuang, "a highly regarded leader in Tāmaki Makaurau", and facilitated by a professional tour company.
All "appropriate notifications and processes were carried out" prior to departure, and that "no provincial governments hosted the group", Hoyle said.
Hoyle told Morning Report the group left all their police issued devices behind in New Zealand and spoke to the international services group in Wellington before their departure because they were well aware of the risks of foreign interference.
"It was a completely private trip... It wasn't a work trip at all," he stressed.
"Police officers taking annual leave and travelling off shore together...is not unheard of."
He could not say if the group had received any gifts but said he would look into it. He noted it was a common part of many Asian cultures to give gifts.
However, there were photos showing the delegation meeting with the deputy director of the Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, Tang Changhua, Brady said.
"This is what the Chinese government would regard as political tourism."
Even if police paid their own airfares, the booking was made through the China Travel Service, the Chinese government's official travel agency, she said.
Freeman Yu from the NZ Values Alliance hands a petition calling for an inquiry to be launched into foreign interference to ACT Party MP Laura McClure (right). Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter
It was "problematic" that senior police were relying on information from police ethnic liaison officers, she said.
"There's other concerning incidents about ethnic liaison police officers themselves participating in United Front activities or with China's proxy organisations in New Zealand.
"Senior police were no doubt told that everything was fine, but they would, because some liaison officers have already been engaging in inappropriate activity."
United Front is a Chinese Communist Party political strategy that uses proxy groups to advance party influence and interests domestically and internationally.
Just days ago, Chinese dissident Freeman Yu, of pro-democracy group NZ Values Alliance, delivered a petition to Parliament calling on the government to launch an inquiry into Chinese interference in New Zealand and the Pacific. Yu said such interference had a "corrosive impact" on New Zealand democracy, and national and regional security.
He said the police trip showed "China's vast and complex United Front campaign has expanded its influence with tourism bribery techniques all over the world".
But Police Minister Mark Mitchell said he was proud of the work police did to engage with all groups in the community.
He had been advised it was a self-funded private trip, participation was voluntary, and those who chose to go took annual leave and personally covered their own expenses, he said.
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