China hits back at New Zealand’s Ardern after Nato comments

Bloomberg

China has responded to New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern’s warning at the Nato summit that Beijing is becoming increasingly assertive and more willing to challenge international norms.
“We have taken note of the relevant comment made by the New Zealand side at the Nato session, which includes some misguided accusations against China,” a spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy in Wellington said in a statement on its website dated June 30. The prime minister’s comments are “wrong” and “regrettable,” the statement said.
“It is obvious that such comment is not helpful for deepening mutual trust between the two countries, or for the efforts made by the two countries to keep our bilateral relations on the right track,” the Embassy spokesperson said.
China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands in April, sparking concerns it wants to increase its military presence in the Pacific region. Ardern told the Nato summit in Madrid that China had “become more assertive and more willing to challenge international rules and norms.”
“We must respond to the actions we see,” Ardern said. “We must stand firm on the rules-based order, call for diplomatic engagement and speak out against human rights abuses at all times when and where we see them.”
The Embassy spokesperson said China’s goal in the Pacific is to deepen long-standing partnerships and help island countries enhance their development capacity.