“It is important for the foreign minister and prime minister and others to understand that I would never think of getting into a public situation like this at such an important time for New Zealand’s relationship,” Shipley said in an interview with the New Zealand Herald.
This controversy comes at a time of heightening tensions between New Zealand and China. Relations between the countries were strained after Chinese tech giant Huawei was temporarily banned from participating in the country’s rollout of 5G — the upcoming generation of mobile networking technology that’s set to drive a host of tech innovations.
Shipley came under criticism for the op-ed, including from New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who said the former prime minister a”selling out New Zealand interests,” according to the Herald.
The Guardian said Shipley turned down an interview request and has declined to comment further. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC.
The People’s Daily did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment sent to its general inquiries email address.
The Guardian said China experts suggested Shipley had made an error in speaking with the newspaper at all given the People’s Daily’s “habit” of fabricating stories.
Read more about Shipley’s comments in The Guardian’s report.
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