China bans 4 New Zealand lawmakers from entering country over visit to Taiwan

China has barred four lawmakers of New Zealand from entering the country over a visit they paid to Taiwan, Radio New Zealand reported Thursday.

Parliament’s clerk informed National’s Maureen Pugh, Labour’s Duncan Webb, ACT’s Laura McClure, and NZ First’s David Wilson that Chinese authorities have imposed a one-year entry ban on China, Hong Kong, and Macau following their participation in a five-day cross-party delegation to Taiwan in May.

The Chinese Embassy said the sanctions could be reduced or lifted if the lawmakers apologized, the report said.

However, the New Zealand Foreign Ministry said the country will continue “trade, economic, cultural and indigenous exchanges” with Taiwan for the benefit of New Zealanders, while noting that the lawmakers were not representing the government during the Taiwan visit.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has also instructed officials to raise the issue with Chinese counterparts and express concern over the travel bans imposed.

“In the context of that long history, the Minister was surprised to learn that China has taken a decision to, for the first time, impose travel bans on New Zealand MPs as a result of travel to Taiwan,” a spokesperson for Peters said in a statement.

“New Zealand has maintained its One China policy for over half a century. New Zealand MPs have visited Taiwan for decades and such visits are not inconsistent with New Zealand’s One China policy,” he added.