The Chinese police force is coming to New Zealand but its officers will not be patrolling a street near you.
Despite fears about the arrival of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei entering western democracies, New Zealand police have opened their arms to a notably political police force, saying there is nothing to fear.
Police confirmed the move, saying the friendly arrival of the Chinese officers was only a learning and information sharing exercise, and they would not be doing any operational policing.
Revelations of a partnership between the Guangzhou and Auckland police forces, who would be doing “police exchanges and police training” with New Zealand officers, was made by state-owned Chinese media.
The cops are not worried about the officers gaining access to classified information but it follows concerns from world-leading China academic Anne-Marie Brady who sounded a warning call that NZ needs an anti-corruption commission and a suite of new laws to deal with foreign interference.
Submitting to the Justice Select Committee on Thursday, Brady said the Chinese government was making a concerted effort to keep their foreign diaspora populations under control, with President Xi Jingping governing in “crisis mode”.
It also follows comments this week from Huawei New Zealand boss who said the Government Communications Security Bureau’s decision to exclude Huawei from rolling out 5G in New Zealand was political “fear mongering”.
Foreign police cannot work in a New Zealand policing role unless they’ve been sworn in as constables and it is unclear what role or how many officers would be deployed in Auckland.
A police spokeswoman said the purpose of the relationship was to promote bilateral cooperation, friendship and training opportunities between the Municipal Public Security Bureau of Guangzhou and the Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland) Police.
“During any visit staff [police] would not be undertaking any operational duties. At this time we do not have details on how many staff may be involved or the length of time of any exchange.”
Last week the Guangzhou Municipal People’s Government Foreign Affairs Office posted a photo of New Zealand and Chinese police celebrating a city friendship relationship with Auckland.
In an effort to strengthen police cooperation between the two cities, a formal cooperation ‘in police exchanges and police training’ was signed.
A translation of the report says it was the first time the Guangzhou police and foreign police signed an intention, which indicates that the law enforcement agencies of the two places will formally cooperate.
The post says that on April 29, assistant police chief of the Auckland City Police Department of New Zealand Naila Hassan, signed the Cooperation Arrangement with Yang Jianghua, deputy mayor of Guangzhou and director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau.
The New Zealand Police spokeswoman said the ceremony was in relation to a letter of friendship and co-operation between the three Police Districts in Tamaki Makaurau and Guangzhou Public Security Bureau.
There was no exchange of confidential information or access to New Zealand systems as part of the relationship, she said.
The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) did not answer questions about its concerns directly but a spokesman said every government agency was responsible for ensuring that it had appropriate security measures in place to protect information and information systems under the Protective Security Requirements (PSR).
This included ensuring that only people who hold the necessary security clearance are able to access classified information.
Arrangements between New Zealand government agencies and foreign counterparts were the responsibility of the agency concerned, he said.
The close links with China’s police was highlighted last year when a top New Zealand officer returned from a posting in Beijing, after eight years.
Assistant Commissioner Hamish McCardle, who was New Zealand’s police liaison officer with China investigators, was bestowed with Visiting Professor at the People’s Public Security University of China – the first foreigner to hold such a role.
His appointment included the opportunity to return each year to teach at the university where China’s Ministry of Public Security trains China’s police.
McCardle intended to spend two weeks each year teaching .”It will provide a wonderful opportunity to share ideas in both directions, develop a New Zealand and China awareness and foster an alumni of the university with some Kiwi characteristics,” he said in June last year.
His appointment was an endorsement of the healthy state of the New Zealand-China bilateral relationship, and “underscores the idea that New Zealand has values and ideas worth considering in the Chinese context, he said.