There was something odd about Matthew Hooton’s NZ Herald piece this morning castigating Winston for his remarks about the People’s Republic of China. Namely, in a piece that was significantly about NZ’s stance on Taiwan rejoining the WHO … he did not use “Taiwan” once. Instead, it was “Chinese Taipei” all the way through – and in a manner that seemed almost calculated to emphasize that name. Which is, if you were unaware, the PRC’s preferred way of talking about its “renegade province” on the international stage.
The only time Hooton came anywhere near saying “Taiwan”, was when he was comparing “”Taiwanese Splitters”” [in scare-quotes, presumably because he’s quite keen to kow-tow not only to the PRC’s preferred proper nouns, but also to try and make out that Taiwan’s divergence from the PRC isn’t really a real thing, either, whatever the nomenclature under which it occurs] … to the Chatham Islands pretending to break away from New Zealand in a bid to get the rest of us here in Kiwiland empathizing with Beijing upon the matter.
Now I know Hooton’s no fan of Jacinda Ardern, but I somewhat suspect that obliquely insinuating she’s Chairman Mao circa the late 1940s, is more than a few Bridges too far.
There’s legitimate space to discuss Winston’s remarks pertaining to the PRC recently – that’s one of the benefits of a free and democratic society, we can have free and democratic conversations about what our elected representatives come out with upon all of our collective behalves.
And while I do think that Winston is, in effect, coasting towards mixing metaphors by playing bull-rush in a China shop by openly disclosing that the PRC attempted to get us not to enter Lockdown, or asserting that Beijing wouldn’t impose significant trade-penalties upon us for supporting the Australian call for independent inquiry into the origins of Covid-19 etc. …
… that doesn’t mean I think he’s in the wrong for doing so. He’s standing up for New Zealand’s interests and independence.
Hooton’s perspective, by contrast, appears to be that letting China have its way – and at least as importantly, being seen to do so – is the best way to support New Zealand’s interests. I’m not sure if he’s to bothered about the “Independence” side of that equation.
Still, look on the bright-side. If Beijing chooses to make good on Hooton’s implied threats to stop accepting our exports, etc. …
… perhaps that means they’ll also stop buying up our politicians and newspaper columnists.
Sadly for Hooten, due to Covid the Chinese residents can’t get into NZ to influence and vote https://yournz.org/2017/09/11/chinese-voter-poll-shows-similar-trends/, therefore the polls have spiked up Labour’s support as National and the CPC can’t get their voters back to NZ until the borders open which they are desperately trying to do, in time for the NZ election.
That makes ZERO sense
For starters
Resident visa holders can return to NZ, they just have to be in govt quarantine for 14 days.
The borders are not closed to resident visa holders, or to citizens.
All this is a case of, is chinese voters swinging their support to the ruling party as they do. Chinese voters care not a jot about the long term aims of a party. All they care about is being “on side” with a “ruling power’
Labour is the ruling power. Ergo, chinese voters in NZ now want to side with the ruling party. It’s a well understood trait of chinese voters.
The only true way to stop the rort is by limiting voting for central government to citizens only.
@James thrace,
There are less foreign nationals in NZ – although technically some can return there are a lot of reasons they have not – the poll reflects the views of who is CURRENTLY residing in NZ and with less foreign nationals eager to become NZ’s next exploiters and make a bundle from the scheme being polled, National is down on the votes…
It has also disrupted the tens of thousands per month of new residents coming to NZ on the ponzi visa schemes…
People could take a breath of fresh air, literally, with less pollution when the poll was taken.
Totally agree that they need to stop the rort is by limiting voting for central government to citizens only. And also make it 10 years to become a NZ citizen not 11 days Peter Thiele style.
ROFL !- Well said !
It’s interesting how the PRC has worked out that the best way to gain influence in a foreign country is to buy that influence. The best route is via the Right, them being for sale.
Yes, both main branches of the Centre right, National and Labour.
No that’s unfair on Labour because as we have seen one of the main issues ripe for nationalisation is PPE. One of the issues involved in having objective stocks of medical resources in reserve is that all got placed in private hands and we ran out pretty quickly meaning the government is going to have to implement contingency plans, the public won’t accept anything less.
Common sense Sam
Govt funds are needed.
Nact have used the sinking lid.
Would you like to be more specific re Chinese influence in Labour?
SADLY I would have to agree.
Labour are NOT left wing. They are just more left wing than NACT.
And we’ve yet to hear about the Chinese influence in the Labour party. Hopefully ‘the bought and paid for MP’ isn’t a spy !!!
The right has the networks for this to happen out of the public eye and it does happen.
Well said Curwen
“Still, look on the bright-side. If Beijing chooses to make good on Hooton’s implied threats to stop accepting our exports, etc. …
… perhaps that means they’ll also stop buying up our politicians and newspaper columnists.”
Yes China knows money buys power and they are just another gang like Mafia was.
Well China own and control most of the NZ/Chinese exports anyway aka Silver Fern Farms – 50% owned by Chinese company…. also in receipt of $42,465,934.20 NZ wage subsidy.
So I guess if they try that in NZ, then they are hurting their own companies as much as the NZ ones…
And the USA is today, with minor (call them ‘made men’) players being the UK, France etc
…And dairy farms and factories and meat companies and water but it does.t seem very likely does it!
D J S
Hooton’s standing up for his interests and independence by not using the word ‘Taiwan.’ He’s probably made that decision based on some deep considered knowledge and perspective and coincidentally his respect for those who don’t want to call the country Taiwan matches that of others. Including China.
He could quite easily have decided to go with what the Taiwanese call their home. (I wonder if that hill on the west side of the North Island is Mount Egmont or Taranaki to him.)
The Hooton story online was banner headlines last night. Maybe it was a poll distractor.
A really interesting story would be for Hooton to tell us how he sees things. Does he want New Zealand to have nothing at all to do with China? Does he want us to have untrammelled dealings with China and them with us. Do we never refer to or acknowledge any reservations we have about human rights or any other issues in China? If China expects us to see Taiwan as the enemy for China do we have to agree? If China tells us to have no dealings with Taiwan do we abide by that?
The CCP has virtually complete control of the national party and it’s fanboys.
What a sad state of affairs
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