Tags: new zealand foreign interference china russia iran

China, Russia and Iran Are Engaged in Foreign Interference in New Zealand, Intelligence Agency Says

Friday, 11 August 2023 03:00 AM EDT

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — China, Iran and Russia are engaged in foreign interference in New Zealand, the nation's domestic intelligence agency said Friday after making its threat assessment report public for the first time.

In the report, Director-General of Security Andrew Hampton said the Security Intelligence Service sees enormous value in sharing more of its insights publicly.

The agency had previously taken a secretive approach. It decided to change course after it and other agencies were criticized for focusing too much on the perceived threat from Islamic extremism and being blindsided when a white supremacist shot and killed 51 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques in 2019.

In the report, the agency says the most notable case of foreign interference is the continued targeting of the nation's diverse Chinese communities by people with links to the intelligence arm of China's ruling Communist Party.

It said China's efforts to advance its political, economic and military involvement in the Pacific was driving strategic competition. The agency said it was aware and concerned about ongoing Chinese intelligence activity “in and against New Zealand."

The report said Iran had been engaged in societal interference by monitoring and reporting on Iranian communities and dissident groups in New Zealand.

The agency linked Russia's war in Ukraine to a number of problems, including increased geopolitical competition, supply chain disruptions, and efforts to spy on other countries and seed disinformation.

“Russia’s international disinformation campaigns have not targeted New Zealand specifically, but have had an impact on the views of some New Zealanders,” the report found.

Domestically, the agency found that violent extremism continued to pose a threat. The report said there were likely some people in New Zealand with the intent and capability to carry out domestic terror attacks, although the agency wasn't aware of any specific or credible plans.

“We continue to see inflammatory language and violent abuse online targeting a wide variety of people from already marginalized communities,” the report found.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.


GlobalTalk
China, Iran and Russia are engaged in foreign interference in New Zealand, the nation's domestic intelligence agency said Friday after making its threat assessment report public for the first time. In the report, DirectorGeneral of Security Andrew Hampton said the Security...
new zealand foreign interference china russia iran
324
2023-00-11
Friday, 11 August 2023 03:00 AM
Newsmax Media, Inc.

Sign up for Newsmax’s Daily Newsletter

Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.

(Optional for Local News)
Privacy: We never share your email address.
Join the Newsmax Community
Read and Post Comments
Please review Community Guidelines before posting a comment.
 
 
TOP

Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.

NEWSMAX.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
NEWSMAX.COM
© Newsmax Media, Inc.
All Rights Reserved