Beijing bans four New Zealand lawmakers from entering China for visiting Taiwan

Key points

• Beijing banned four New Zealand lawmakers from travelling to China for a year and demanded they apologise because they visited Taiwan on a Parliamentary trip, according to a message from the Chinese embassy conveyed via Parliamentary officials and shown to the press on Thursday (June 4, 2026).
• Taiwan expresses concern after China calls island biggest risk in U.S.-China relations “China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand Parliamentarians,” the government in Wellington said.
• Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory.
• Two lawmakers reached by the press on Thursday (June 4, 2026) rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached.
• New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing.