China sanctions NZ lawmakers over Taiwan visit

New Zealand (NZ) media reported on the 4th that the Chinese government has imposed sanctions on four NZ lawmakers who visited Taiwan, banning them from visiting China.

This is the first time China has imposed sanctions on NZ lawmakers for visiting Taiwan, and it is causing ripples in NZ, which has maintained relatively good relations with China.

According to the New Zealand Herald, the targets were four lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties. After visiting Taiwan as a cross-party delegation in May, the Chinese Embassy notified the NZ Parliament of a one-year entry ban. It was also reported that the measures might be eased or lifted if they apologized for the Taiwan visit.

A spokesperson for the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained on the 4th that visits by lawmakers to Taiwan have been a decades-long practice and "do not contradict the 'One China' principle" as claimed by China. The spokesperson stated that they "could not hide their surprise" regarding the measures and indicated a policy of conveying concerns to China.

According to Reuters, the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs also strongly condemned China's measures on the 4th, protesting that "China has no right to interfere in the relationship between Taiwan and its 'international friends'." [Bangkok, Aiko Kunimoto]