Beehive Diaries: China confronts New Zealand’s One Building Policy

Nothing to Xi here: New Zealand hosted Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang in a building that also hosts the de facto embassy of Taiwan.

OPINION:

A fortnight ago, New Zealand hosted China’s Minister of Science and technology Wang Zhigang and his delegation.

Minister Wang was visiting for the sixth New Zealand-China Joint Commission Meeting on Science and Technology Co-operation, and was hosted by his counterpart Ayesha Verrall.

The meeting was important. It was the first ministerial visit from China since the Covid pandemic Nothing could go wrong.

And yet it so very nearly could have.

The building hosting Wang was none other than Wellington’s Majestic Centre, home to the de facto embassy of Taiwan, which the PRC claims as part of its territory, Wellington’s Taipei Economic & Cultural Office.

The Majestic Centre is also home to the Embassy of Japan, a country currently engaged in many less-than-friendly territorial spats with China.

The poor visitors must have wondered whether there were any less suitable building in which they might have been hosted. Thank goodness they were treated to a hearty meal of … sausage rolls.

Jan Tinetti learns her lesson

Education Minister Jan Tinetti had a rough week as she was hauled before the privileges committee on Thursday to answer for why she took so long to correct an answer she gave to Parliament that she knew to be incorrect.

But unlike other ministers, Tinetti did not need to be told 12 times to learn her lesson. On Thursday afternoon, Tinetti stood up in Parliament to correct an answer she had given just hours before, correcting the fact she had said February 23 when she meant February 22.

Ironically, the question Tinetti corrected related to the question she was answering to the privileges committee over - but at least she got it right this time (eventually).

Chris versus Chris

No contest this week. Not even Christopher Luxon opining on New Zealand’s falling birthrate (something he should really stop talking about) could clinch it for Chris Hipkins.

The week belongs to Luxon because it was lost by Hipkins. The Prime Minister did his best, acting fast, trying to get to the bottom of things quickly, but ultimately he was let down by his team - in this case Transport Minister Michael Wood.

Luxon was the opposite. Largely absent from the spotlight (with the exception of his population comments) the prosecution of Wood was left in the capable hands of Paul Goldsmith and Nicola Willis who pulled a blinder in Question Time this week, with three days of stellar performances.

National’s ex-high-school debater set are regularly pilloried in Parliament, but Willis showed why those skills mattered this week, having Hipkins on the ropes on Wednesday. The winner of Chris vs. Chris this week is Nicola (and therefore Luxon).