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New Zealand's former prime minister appeared to cheer China in a state newspaper op-ed. She says she
Source: Washington Post
New Zealand’s former prime minister appeared to cheer China in a state newspaper op-ed. She says she didn’t write it.
What initially appeared to be an odd embrace of the Chinese leadership by a former Western leader has since turned into a more complex story.
By Rick Noack February 20 at 5:56 AM
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — When current or former leaders want their messages to be heard abroad, they often choose to pen op-eds in major foreign papers. On Monday, it was former New Zealand prime minister Jenny Shipley’s name that appeared in one of Beijing’s state papers, the People’s Daily.
What initially appeared to be an odd embrace of the Chinese leadership by the former prime minister has since turned into a more complex story, which may hold lessons for other Western governments’ dealings with Beijing.
Monday’s piece praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s policies as “demonstrating China’s determination to continue adhering to reform and opening up,” and lauded the controversial Belt and Road Initiative as “one of the greatest ideas we’ve ever heard globally.”
“We need to learn to listen to China,” the headline of Shipley’s apparent op-ed in the People’s Daily read.
-snip-
Instead, the piece appears to be based on an interview she gave to a Chinese state media outlet in December, weeks before concerns over a growing rift between Beijing and Wellington began to dominate New Zealand’s political discourse.
-snip-
What initially appeared to be an odd embrace of the Chinese leadership by a former Western leader has since turned into a more complex story.
By Rick Noack February 20 at 5:56 AM
AUCKLAND, New Zealand — When current or former leaders want their messages to be heard abroad, they often choose to pen op-eds in major foreign papers. On Monday, it was former New Zealand prime minister Jenny Shipley’s name that appeared in one of Beijing’s state papers, the People’s Daily.
What initially appeared to be an odd embrace of the Chinese leadership by the former prime minister has since turned into a more complex story, which may hold lessons for other Western governments’ dealings with Beijing.
Monday’s piece praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s policies as “demonstrating China’s determination to continue adhering to reform and opening up,” and lauded the controversial Belt and Road Initiative as “one of the greatest ideas we’ve ever heard globally.”
“We need to learn to listen to China,” the headline of Shipley’s apparent op-ed in the People’s Daily read.
-snip-
Instead, the piece appears to be based on an interview she gave to a Chinese state media outlet in December, weeks before concerns over a growing rift between Beijing and Wellington began to dominate New Zealand’s political discourse.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/02/20/new-zealands-former-prime-minister-appeared-cheer-china-state-newspaper-op-ed-she-says-she-didnt-write-it/