China's ‘green tea' charm offensive launched last week is aimed at a massive buy up of state assets and chunks of the dairy industry says Winston Peters.
The New Zealand first leader told an Auckland meeting on Saturday the highly publicized briefing and press conference at the Chinese embassy in Wellington last week is part of a wider "green tea" charm offensive through Western media.
Reporters at the briefing were told New Zealand is an attractive place for Chinese investors. A spokesman said dairy farms and mining "at least" would be of interest. Winston a former New Zealand foreign Minister, says international trade and diplomatic relations with China are good for both parties but it should not extend to free trade, or allowing ownership of New Zealand state assets, mineral wealth or the dairy industry.
NZ is being naive in its dealings on such issues with China to our immediate and long term detriment, says Winston.
'Although China is a military super power it is spending billions on a charm offensive to increase what is known as its ‘soft power' around the world and that extends to New Zealand,” saysWinston.
'We have to remember that at the heart of the soft power is a core of communist steel which shows no mercy to dissent and does not abide democracy or share our view on human rights.
'We do not want any foreign power to own or control us but we get especially nervous about those with political systems that consist of a one party state.
'We have always maintained that this country has the resources and capability of successfully making its own way in the world if we educate and train our own people and give them a stake in society.”
Winston will be in Tauranga on Wednesday this week, speaking at an electorate public meeting at Classic Flyers, Jean Batten Drive Mount Maunganui at 10am.
6 comments
spoken with wisdom
Posted on 08-08-2011 10:39 | By waitandwatch
you have done some research and what secret society are you connected to?
THEY WANT CONTROL
Posted on 08-08-2011 13:34 | By PLONKER
Of the land for food, mines for resources and to employ mostly thier people, there is no "green" agenda here as it is all about wealth and control, like we have NOT seen before ... colonial UK and the USA just to mention a few of late.
Winston on the pulse
Posted on 08-08-2011 14:11 | By jayjay
One thing about Winston he does have his finger on the pulse. There has been alot of negative talk about him, I not sure why when I look at what he has done for Tauranga and NZ - Free doctor appointments for under 6's in which he campaigned for and won. Now I'm not sure what the new Tauranga MP does and I cant even remember his name, all I've heard him campaign for is 'Animals', yes they have their place but come on what about the Tauranga people.
Irony
Posted on 08-08-2011 14:13 | By Steve Morris
Yet Peters will make New Zealand more indebted to the Chinese government by borrowing more from them to fund his election promises. NZ First are promising to spend more and reduce taxes! - They need to enter the 21st Century and realise that you can't borrow your way to a prosperous society.
ownership
Posted on 08-08-2011 15:04 | By earlybird
I have no great love for Winston [since he formed a partnership with the Nats last century when he said he wouldn't] but I'm not in favour of foreign businesses buying our farms and SOE's regardless of where they're from. That, IMHO, is the start of the slippery slope to 3rd world status. If they want to start a business here from scratch using leased land, then that is slightly different.
When china own our utilitys you'll regret not speaking up.
Posted on 12-08-2011 13:41 | By xenocrates
"Yet Peters will make New Zealand more indebted to the Chinese government by borrowing more from them to fund his election promises" -Steve. That may be true, But lets take the case of Muldoon, He borrowed a shittonne, and people didn't like him for it. If it wernt for the last 10 years of government spending, we would still own all the infulstructure setup by Muldoon. These were things that had to be done, We were at a time where we NEEDED some infulstructure. It's a shame to sell off what a whole generation has worked for. Yes, Winston did go with the nats all the years ago, when we all presumed he would go with labor, But the truth is NZ first is the only country that puts the intrest of its citizens first.
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