NZ intelligence aware of intelligence activity linked to China

New Zealand is aware of ongoing intelligence activity linked to China in and against the island nation and region, it said in a report released on Friday.

"This is a complex intelligence concern for New Zealand," the New Zealand Security Intelligence service (NZSIS) said in the report.

The Chinese embassy in Wellington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The international security environment in which New Zealand operates is now more challenging and less predictable than in recent decades, it added.

The annual report titled "New Zealand's Security Threat Environment 2023" is being made public for the first time as part of a government shift to better inform New Zealanders of risks the country is facing.

"Competition between states is becoming more acute," Andrew Hampton, NZSIS's director-general of security, said in a statement.

This is prompting some states to seek advantage through subversive and dishonest means such as espionage and foreign interference against New Zealand and New Zealand's interests, he added.

The report also noted that the evolving nature of violent extremist ideologies was also a risk.

"In the last year we have seen the emergence in New Zealand and around the world, of individuals who explore a range of extremist beliefs without aligning with any one in particular," said Hampton.