In a separate topic Ombugge asked what threat did China pose to New Zealand.
China plays a very long game and many of us have friends in Hong Kong and other acquaintances that have moved to NZ but still have relatives in Hong Kong. I have been associated with Hong Kong for over sixty years and all those I know cannot express their true feelings for fear of repercussions on those remaining.
China repeatedly uses state sponsored computer hacking to us and other pacific nations.
China uses coercion on Chinese diaspora living in New Zealand.
China is establishing bases in the Soloman Islands, Kiribati and Antarctica along with its nine dash line and East Africa.
We are more than happy for China to have a peaceful relationship with us and other nations and we don’t like being threatened when we disagree.
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We now have Ted Cruze spreading fake news about NZ. For the record Israelis don’t need a visa to visit NZ for 90 days and nowhere do they have to declare whether they have served in the military.
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Yes. I concur. Australia has an even more precarious relationship with China as our major trading market for iron ore and coal and thus reliant on it for income but treading carefully in justifiable criticism of China’s disgraceful actions against Australia because the consequences.
China is both a major threat and a major asset so we walk softly and don’t carry a big stick.
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In real life a Lieutenant General would be at quite a short fuse being addressed as Colonel but maybe that was going to be his substantive rank at the end of the day.