New Zealand conveys ‘concerns’ to China after parliament was found 'breached'

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – New Zealand on Tuesday conveyed to Beijing its “concerns” regarding an alleged breach of its parliament by a Chinese “state-sponsored” group.

Judith Collins, the communications security bureau minister, said in a statement that the ministry has “established links between a state-sponsored actor linked to PRC (People’s Republic of China) and malicious cyber activity targeting Parliamentary entities in New Zealand.”

The alleged breach happened in 2021, she said, adding that the group responsible for the breach was “PRC state-sponsored, … known as APT40.”

Similar allegations were made by New Zealand’s key allies, including the US and UK on Monday, while Beijing has rejected the allegations.

Referring to the statements by Washington and London on “malicious cyber activity impacting global democratic processes and institutions,” Collins said: “This collective response from the international community serves as a timely reminder to all organizations and individuals to have strong cyber security measures in place.”

Meanwhile, New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the ministry’s senior officials spoke to Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaolong in Wellington “to lay out our position and express our concerns.”

“Foreign interference of this nature is unacceptable, and we have urged China to refrain from such activity in future. New Zealand will continue to speak out – consistently and predictably – where we see concerning behaviors like this,” said Peters.​​​​​​​

Wellington’s revelations came on a day when the country’s intelligence agencies told the lawmakers that seven former Defense Force personnel were hired to "help train the People's Liberation Army" of China.