China remains a "very good friend", New Zealand's defence minister says, despite Beijing backing a cyber attack on the NZ parliament and MPs.
New Zealand has reported a Chinese government-backed cyber attack on its parliament and MPs, the first time Beijing has attempted to compromise New Zealand's democratic institutions.
However, unlike similar attacks made public by the United Kingdom and United States overnight, the government has no plans to retaliate beyond disclosing the incident.
"This is a first for New Zealand, a very big first step," Prime Minister Chris Luxon said.
"We're calling out where we see malicious cyber activity from any state that attacks our democratic institutions."
On Tuesday morning, Defence Minister Judith Collins -who is responsible for New Zealand's intelligence agencies - revealed an August 2021 attack by APT40, a cyber-espionage outfit based in China's Hainan province.
The group targeted the NZ's parliament's law writers, the counsel office, and the parliamentary service, including MPs.
The Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) said APT40 retrieved some data in the attack but not "sensitive or strategic" information.
"Analysis of the tactics and techniques used by the actor enabled us to confidently link the actor to (China) ... reinforced by analysis from international partners of similar events in their own jurisdictions," GCSB director-general Andrew Clark said.
He said it was the first time the agency pinned China for an intrusion into a government agency, and Kiwi officials subdued the threat quickly.
The revelation of the attack follows similar incidents made public by the UK and US, both of which hold China-backed groups responsible.
Officials in those countries allege much deeper reconnaissance and cyber attacks on government institutions, as well as MPs, academics and journalists critical of China.
The UK and US governments have filed charges and imposed sanctions on Chinese individuals and businesses involved.
Mr Luxon said making the incidents public was the appropriate step.
"Calling it out is important because being public about it and putting sunlight on it and calling it out is actually a very good thing," he said.
He said it did not change his thinking on how NZ would interact with China or derail trips by the trade minister, the foreign minister or himself in the coming months.
"We've been very clear-eyed about our approach in managing the relationship with China," Mr Luxon said.
"We've got a long standing complex relationship with China.
"We collaborate and cooperate where we can on issues around trade and on climate, but obviously we also have differences and we call those out consistently.
"We have a very constructive relationship about developing trade on a range of other issues and we'll continue to do that."
Ms Collins said while the attack was "totally unacceptable", China was "a very good friend".
Winston Peters did not raise the issue of the cyber attack with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Neither Mr Luxon nor Foreign Minister Winston Peters chose to raise the issue with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on his official visit last week, even as Mr Peters called it "unacceptable".
Later on Tuesday, Mr Peters confirmed senior diplomats had relayed their concerns to China's ambassador in Wellington.
Former prime minister Chris Hipkins, - the first Kiwi leader to travel to China since the attacks when he did so to meet President Xi Jinping in 2023 - defended not raising the issue or making it public.
The Australian government also issued a statement in support of the UK and other international partners targeted with "malicious cyber activities by China state-backed actors".
"This behaviour is unacceptable and must stop," Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.
Commentaires