A former prime minister of New Zealand has denied writing an opinion piece for a Chinese state-run newspaper heaping praise on China's government.
The article, written in the first person and headlined "We need to learn to listen to China", appeared under Dame Jenny Shipley's name in the People's Daily this week, amid speculation of a rift between Wellington and Beijing.
The piece describes China's global Belt and Road initiative as "one of the greatest ideas we've ever heard globally" and applauds President Xi Jinping.
But Dame Jenny says she never wrote the article.
She told the NZ Herald she had been interviewed by the People's Daily last year and was surprised to see her name featured on the opinion piece.
"It is important for the Foreign Minister and Prime Minister and others to understand that I would never think of getting into a public situation like this at such an important time for New Zealand's relationship," she reportedly said.
Contacted for clarification about whether the article reflected the sentiment of the original interview, Dame Jenny on Wednesday declined to comment.
The former centre-right National Party politician became New Zealand's first female prime minister in 1998 following the resignation of her predecessor. She is chair of the China Construction Bank New Zealand.
The comments come as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern talks down suggestions her country's ties with the world's second-largest economy have frayed since New Zealand's cybersecurity agency rejected a proposal for technology by Huawei to be used in a nationwide network upgrade.
Ardern has refuted suggestions tourism or trade have been affected.
Beijing has also denied suggestions it had warned its citizens against travelling to New Zealand after an article in the People's Daily described Chinese tourists cancelling their trips after "New Zealand stabbed us in the back".
Australian Associated Press
