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Summarised by Centrist
China’s repressive arm stretches further than many New Zealanders realise.
A new international investigation by 104 journalists across 30 countries, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), has revealed the extent of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) transnational harassment – including targeting dissidents living in New Zealand.
Auckland-based human rights protester Jian Xing says his father remains detained in China after Xing posted a critical video online. The so-called crime was uploading a clip showing Chinese AI company DeepSeek censoring discussion of Tiananmen Square and human rights activism. “Since they cannot control me, they are targeting my family,” Xing said.
Another activist, “Ali,” a member of New Zealand’s small Uyghur community, also faced intimidation. After speaking to media about concerns of forced Uyghur labour linked to New Zealand imports, Chinese police harassed his family in Xinjiang. Ali was later contacted directly via the WeChat app and warned of consequences. “One phone call from a Chinese police officer can make my whole family disappear,” he said.
Both cases fit a pattern exposed by the China Targets investigation: dissidents abroad face surveillance, harassment of family, and pressure campaigns designed to silence criticism of the CCP.
Evidence uncovered includes secret Chinese police orders to track targets abroad, intimidation through family detention, and attempts to orchestrate forced repatriations.
In one case, a former Chinese secret police agent known as “Eric” revealed he was ordered to hunt Xing in Thailand before Xing escaped to New Zealand.
Xing now calls New Zealand his “motherland” – but says plainly: “My experience taught me that I’m not safe here.”
The Chinese Embassy dismissed the international investigation as a “smear campaign,” repeating blanket denials issued to journalists worldwide. But those living under threat tell a different story: “They can intimidate, threaten, punish — but they can’t erase the truth,” Ali said.
