China Bans Four New Zealand Lawmakers After Taiwan Visit, Media Reports

China has issued a one-year entry ban to mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau for four New Zealand lawmakers after their visit to Taiwan in May, according to New Zealand media reports. The affected lawmakers include Laura McClure, David Wilson, and Maureen Pugh from the ruling center-right coalition, and opposition Labour lawmaker Duncan Webb.

The Chinese embassy in New Zealand informed the country's parliament that the travel ban could be reduced or waived if the lawmakers offered an apology for their trip. This action highlights the ongoing diplomatic tensions surrounding Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province.

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While New Zealand does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, this does not preclude New Zealand from maintaining trade, economic, cultural and indigenous exchanges

A spokesperson for New Zealand's foreign affairs ministry declined to comment directly on the ban but affirmed that visits by New Zealand lawmakers to Taiwan are a long-standing practice. The ministry stressed that these visits are not inconsistent with New Zealand's official one-China policy, under which the country does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but engages in trade, economic, cultural, and indigenous exchanges.

China, New Zealand's largest trading partner, maintains that Taiwan has no right to state-to-state relations, a stance that Taiwan rejects. New Zealand, like most nations, adheres to the one-China policy while maintaining unofficial ties with the self-governed island. Under New Zealand's constitutional framework, members of parliament are independent and make their own travel decisions.

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Any advice given to MPs is always on a confidential basis