WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND. July 31, 2025 – The Chinese Embassy in New Zealand has condemned the opening of a new U.S. FBI office in Wellington, calling it a “Cold War-inspired campaign” that unjustly targets China under the guise of transnational crime prevention.
The statement, issued Thursday, follows FBI Director Kash Patel’s announcement of the new permanent Legal Attaché presence in New Zealand—a move the bureau described as a major milestone to counter emerging threats in the Indo-Pacific, particularly from hostile state actors including China, according to The Daily Mail.
Chinese officials said such accusations are “groundless” and “doomed to fail,” stressing that international cooperation on crime should not be used to vilify any third party.
New Zealand’s government swiftly pushed back on claims the FBI’s presence was aimed at curbing Chinese influence. Defense Minister Judith Collins, in comments to Radio New Zealand, said the office’s purpose is to confront transnational criminal activities such as drug trafficking and weapons smuggling across the Pacific. When asked about Patel’s direct reference to China, Collins remarked, “Well, I don’t respond to other people’s press releases. That’s up to him, he doesn’t answer to me.”
She emphasized that New Zealand’s approach to security is broad-based and not focused on singling out any nation. “We do have international criminals… but we’re not going to single out any particular country,” she said.
The Chinese Embassy reiterated its stance that labeling China as a threat undermines genuine efforts to combat shared global challenges. “Transnational crime is a common challenge encountered by all countries requiring cooperation to tackle,” the spokesperson said.
This diplomatic exchange underscores the growing tension between Washington and Beijing, now extending into the Pacific’s traditionally neutral nations.