Justin Wong
@whljustin.bsky.social
(Mostly) Wellington local democracy / (some) international affairs @thepost-nz.bsky.social DM for Signal
ICBC's subsidiary in NZ handled cash for a Chinese surveillance tech firm tied to human rights abuses in Xinjiang This story is part of the China Capital project with @icij.org www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3610...
ICBC handled NZ cash for Chinese tech firm linked to Xinjiang repression
A bank executive who is also a Chinese Communist Party member also worked to finance a multimillion-dollar loan for a project to expand Napier’s port.
thepost.co.nz
COMING SOON: #ChinaCapital. An international investigation that exposes how the world's biggest bank advances Beijing’s global ambitions. To learn more, sign up for our newsletter: buff.ly/ri2LzVQ
Slight deviation from the usual election messaging in Labour's ads on Chinese-language newspapers: Never recalled any pledges in English to "repair NZ-China relations"
The Odyssey: the PM's perilous 2-minute walk to work, battling cycleways www.stuff.co.nz/politics/361...
Luxon: Wellington cycleway ‘made it very difficult for me getting from my apartment into the Parliament’
At a public meeting in Lower Hutt on Tuesday, the Prime Minister was asked about ever-increasing rates and costs by Green and Labour councillors in the capital. His reply: ‘You get what you deserve’, ...
stuff.co.nz
Wellington's police commander said councillor Ray Chung "made a nuisance of himself" during search for missing man in April's floods www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3610...
Wellington councillor Ray Chung ‘made a nuisance of himself’ during storm search
Wellington’s police commander complained to mayor Andrew Little about Ray Chung’s behaviour during the floods in April, when he started his own search party for a missing man.
thepost.co.nz
Exclusive: ACT pulls candidate who used to be a member of the Zhi Gong Party, a satellite of the Chinese Communist Party. www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3608...
ACT candidate resigns after Chinese political group link revealed
An ACT candidate has withdrawn from a new Wellington electorate race at November’s election, after failing to declare her previous membership of a Chinese political group linked to the country’s rulin...
thepost.co.nz
🧵Here's a little thread on the campaign exposed by @whljustin.bsky.social, and the interesting, if surreal, figure that apparently runs it.
The strange re-emergence of a serial conman
Two decades after conning New Zealand media outlets, Jake Sanders has re-emerged in Asia as a geopolitical commentator, media executive, ordained priest and the ‘Knight Commander’ of a religious order...
thepost.co.nz
Guess who's back? In the 2000s, Jake Sanders (then Jack) hoaxed newspapers into publishing fake stories about non-existent spying operations on senior Māori MPs.
An interesting thread from @fittarelli.com, especially the NZ-related disinfo website in a Chinese company-run network is named eerily close to an existing news website (Scoop) ⬇️
Alberto Fittarelli@fittarelli.com · 5mo ago🧵Remember PAPERWALL, the sprawling disinfo network we @citizenlab.ca exposed in 2024 as run by a Chinese firm, Haimai? 2 full years later, it's still very active and expanding. In its quest to cover the whole globe, it is now focusing also on Australia, New Zealand, and India. Readers? Still zero.
(cartoon from the archives)
Peter Baker@peterbakernyt.bsky.social · 8mo ago"We’re witnessing a murder," writes @ashleyrparker.bsky.social. "Jeff Bezos ... and Will Lewis, the publisher he appointed at the end of 2023, are embarking on the latest step of their plan to kill everything that makes the paper special." www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
For nearly a century, the @washingtonpost’s foreign correspondents have been on the ground for the world’s most pressing stories. Now, our desk is facing potential steep cuts. Washington needs us. The world needs us. If you read us and need us, please watch this video and share.
The Washington Post embarked on severe cuts despite appeals by the newsroom to owner Jeff Bezos. The paper is to narrow its focus largely to politics and national security. n.pr/4qAlWBj
Bezos orders deep job cuts at 'Washington Post'
The Washington Post embarked on severe cuts despite appeals by the newsroom to owner Jeff Bezos. The paper is to narrow its focus largely to politics and national security.
n.pr
BREAKING: Hong Kong court convicts Jimmy Lai, founder of former pro-democracy newspaper, in landmark national security trial.
Former Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai convicted in landmark national security trial
Jimmy Lai, the former Hong Kong media mogul and outspoken critic of Beijing, has been convicted in a landmark national security trial in the city’s court, which could send him to prison for the rest of his life.
bit.ly
New: a @thepost-nz.bsky.social collab with the @icij.org! A Cantabrian lost her inheritance to scammers through crypto in 2021. Even with promises to crack down on money laundering, the crypto platforms are still awash with billions of dirty money four years later: www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3608...
Kiwis targeted as billions of dirty dollars wash through major crypto firms
It started as a chance meeting through an online Scrabble game. But Helen, a Cantabrian in her 60s, was about to fall victim to a scam that would cost her $100,000 ‒ one of tens of thousands being per...
thepost.co.nz
From @icij.org and 37 media outlets, including @thepost-nz.bsky.social, read more about The #CoinLaundry, our investigation into the world's crypto exchanges ⬇️
ICIJ@icij.org · 11mo agoICIJ’s latest investigation The #CoinLaundry is now live! Tap the link to read how the crypto boom minted a shadow economy that thrives on crime — and left a trail of devastated victims.
The #CoinLaundry is coming soon. ICIJ’s latest investigation is a global collaboration between 38 media partners in 35 countries! Stay tuned for more on Monday! Sign up to get it straight to your inbox: buff.ly/yZk76B5
COMING SOON: A major cryptocurrency investigation led by ICIJ in collaboration with international media partners. Read it as soon as it drops by signing up for our newsletter:
Read ICIJ's weekly newsletter! – ICIJ
Be the first to know about investigations, get all the latest news from the network and behind-the-scenes stories.
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From Forough Amin: "Each scenario must be evaluated within its own context and history — not just the last few days or years. While both wars have brought catastrophe to people, causes and consequences are different." www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3607...
A message to my fellow Iranians - and to those who misunderstand this war
OPINION: Iranians find themselves trapped between two evils, of a brutal regime and a devastating war.
thepost.co.nz
I would like to point out that one of the signatories, Mr Worker, once called this Hong Kong-bred reporter and another experienced Kiwi Chinese journalist "taking their first baby steps in learning about China, Chinese culture and overseas Chinese communities". www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
High-powered former political leaders write letter to Luxon on China
A high-powered group of former political leaders have publicly urged Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to restate New Zealand’s commitment to China.
thepost.co.nz
Appreciation to the sex workers for talking to me because they knew this was in the public interest. And I think we need to have a conversation about some of the wider issues here.
PM’s press secretary ‘recorded sex workers without consent’
Christopher Luxon’s deputy chief press secretary quits after Stuff investigation into allegations he secretly recorded sessions with sex workers.
stuff.co.nz
Former NZ Supreme Court justice Sir William Young says he wouldn't have accepted an appointment to Hong Kong's top court unless it was proper for him to do so @thepost-nz.bsky.social www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3606...
NZ judge wouldn’t have taken Hong Kong appointment ‘unless proper’
Former Supreme Court justice Sir William Young is the first NZ judge appointed to Hong Kong’s top court since the introduction of draconian national security laws.
thepost.co.nz
A Green MP says New Zealand’s police should not allow foreign authorities to intimidate human rights advocates and critics on New Zealand soil, after revelations by an @icij.org investigation #ChinaTargets. www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3606...
Greens: NZ should stop setting up secret Chinese police interviews
Teanau Tuiono says police need to do better in distinguishing international criminals from human rights advocates and government critics.
thepost.co.nz
The Chinese Embassy was apparently not happy with our reporting on #ChinaTargets @whljustin.bsky.social
'Full of lies': Chinese Embassy hits back over Stuff role in global investigation
An investigation into the tactics Beijing allegedly uses to target its critics is labelled ‘complete fabrication’ by the Embassy in Wellington.
stuff.co.nz
The Chinese Embassy in New Zealand criticized our #ChinaTargets partners' reporting on China's misuse of Interpol. We have the receipts: www.icij.org/investigatio... @paulapenfold.bsky.social @whljustin.bsky.social
Case involving Alibaba’s Jack Ma shows how China weaponizes Interpol
Chinese authorities exploited Interpol and strong-armed one of the world’s richest men to pursue a target.
icij.org
Paula Penfold@paulapenfold.bsky.social · last yr.The Chinese Embassy was apparently not happy with our reporting on #ChinaTargets @whljustin.bsky.social
An @icij.org investigation discovered NZ police brokered secret meetings on New Zealand soil for Chinese authorities to interview Beijing's corruption targets, with at least one returning to China. #ChinaTargets @paulapenfold.bsky.social www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3606...
How Chinese authorities have hunted corruption targets on New Zealand soil
A worldwide investigation exposes how Chinese authorities allegedly use Interpol “red notices” for political ends, including targets in New Zealand.
stuff.co.nz
Beijing-backed “GONGOs” have transformed the U.N. in Geneva into a hostile environment for critics of President Xi Jinping. Fifteen activists and lawyers described being surveilled or harassed by people suspected to be proxies for the Chinese government. buff.ly/7zUTTIZ
At the U.N., China is deploying a growing army of puppet organizations to monitor and intimidate human rights activists - ICIJ
Beijing-backed “GONGOs” have transformed the Palais des Nations into a hostile environment for critics of President Xi Jinping.
buff.ly