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Collins was asked on Tuesday if she would change New Zealand’s official position on Taiwan if she became Prime Minister, after she referred to Taiwan as a country when discussing her success in fighting COVID-19.
“We really can’t because of the fact that we have this relationship with the People’s Republic of China. But let’s be frank here, some of the biggest investors in China come from Taiwan and some of the biggest investors in Taiwan come from China,” Collins said.
The opposition leader was asked if she is concerned that referring to Taiwan as a country could upset China and threaten New Zealand’s trade relations with the Asian powerhouse.
“You know what? I don’t think so. I think the fact is the idea that the People’s Republic of China is so concerned about what it might say about the Taiwanese response to COVID-19, I think they are bigger than that, actually. “, said.
The Chinese Embassy in New Zealand now urges the National Party to respect the “one China” policy and to remember that “Taiwan is part of China.”
A spokesperson told Newshub: “Our position is very clear: Taiwan is part of China and not a nation. We hope that the National Party will adhere to the one-China policy.”
Collins is not the first New Zealand politician to receive a warning from China about Taiwan.
The Chinese Embassy issued a clear statement on New Zealand’s position on Taiwan and the World Health Organization (WHO) in May after Foreign Minister Winston Peters expressed support for it to join the body of The United Nations.
Peters said at the time that Taiwan’s handling of the coronavirus had been an “outstanding global success story” and said China must “surely want to know the secret of its success” by allowing them to join the WHO.
The Chinese embassy replied: “WHO is a specialized UN agency made up of sovereign states. As a province of China, Taiwan is not eligible for membership in WHO.”
In response to the statement, Peters said that the Chinese ambassador to New Zealand, Wu Xi, should “listen to her teacher, Wang Yi, in Beijing”, who had assured her that “China does not behave in that way.”
Tensions between China and New Zealand rose after the government recently suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in response to China’s decision to pass a controversial national security law for the semi-autonomous region.
China responded by suspending Hong Kong’s extradition treaty with New Zealand and has accused New Zealand of “serious interference” in its internal affairs.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern delivered a speech to the Chinese business community in July, in which she said that bilateral relations between New Zealand and China have been stable. But she also expressed concern about Hong Kong and the treatment of Uighur Muslims.
China is New Zealand’s largest trading partner with two-way trade increasing from $ 10 billion in 2007 to $ 30 billion in 2018, spearheaded by the 2008 New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement, China’s first with a developed nation.
