The Chinese spy agencies are also using New Zealand as a way station for their agents to enter the U.S. and other Asia-Pacific countries, warns an alarming report published by Cryptome.org. The agents use Hong Kong or Taiwanese passports to gain entry to New Zealand, set up businesses and develop "cover identities."
The mainland spies have been using both nations, neither of which is aware of the extent of Chinese penetration of their borders.
According to Cryptome, a "mini-cold war" in the South Pacific has heated up between China and Taiwan for political recognition and influence over governments such as the Solomon Islands and Vanatu.
The agents work with so-called Triad snakeheads, who handle the infiltration of illegal Chinese migrants around the world. The spies – from the Red Chinese International Liaison Department – and well-traveled, well-trained and well financed Triads share in the illicit profits collected from human trafficking, and which also help to fund China's overseas intelligence operations.
The Chinese intelligence agents, Cryptome adds, work in Chinese business circles, with organized crime, consular and other official circles in each host country.
"Particularly in the case of New Zealand," Cryptome notes, "the host country has not the faintest clue that it is being used as a leaping pad for Pacific and U.S. operations, providing a wonderful cover for so-called 'Taiwanese and Hong Kong' passport holders who just happen to be involved in subverting South Pacific governments and flying in and out of the United States for 'other activities.'"
Noting that Chinese intelligence agents have been operating in the South Pacific for many years, Cryptome adds that they "focus activities on assaults against Taiwan's efforts to gain diplomatic recognition with smaller nations in the South Pacific. In fact, 1999 was quite an active year for the unknown "yellow cold war" chess players in the South Pacific.
The intelligence report cites incidents of the Chinese agents' attempts to manipulate the foreign policies of two of the Pacific island nations they have targeted.
"Earlier this year Prime Minister Skate of Papua New Guinea temporarily recognized Taiwan before being unceremoniously ousted by his cabinet," Cryptome reports.
"That incident had a background of rival intelligence agents from Taiwan and the PRC offering sweeteners under and over the table to various officials in the Papua New Guinea Cabinet.
"Then in recent months there have been incidents between the Solomon Islands (who recognize Taiwan) and Vanuatu (who recognize ... China) where intelligence agents from each side attempted (and almost succeeded) in switching those countries' allegiance to the other side.
"The Solomons Foreign Minister flew to Beijing in September – which was followed by a strong rebuttal by the Solomons President which stabilized Taiwan's relationship – for the time being – and Vanuatu which was on the verge of switching to Taiwan from the PRC until Beijing managed to wrangle a visit to Beijing by the Vanuatu President last month.
"This game of chess by Taiwan and China, a kind of mini-cold war yahtzee game, has been running under the noses of regional powers like Australia and New Zealand whose Foreign Affairs and Intelligence analysts are oblivious to the wider picture of Asian Regional rivalry that has been heating up in the South Pacific, especially in 1999-2000."
Taiwanese and Chinese agents have competed in this game. Their activities involve months of behind-the-scenes meetings between either Taiwanese or Beijing intelligence agents.
Involved are such obvious bribes as promises of development aid to the respective countries and private deposits in the bank accounts of South Pacific Nations officials, who are famous for their flexibility when it comes to dollar diplomacy.
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