Chinese journalist faces ‘anti-Chinese’ accusations for working on China documentary

Saturday, 31 August 2024

An independent New Zealand Chinese journalist worked on a Stuff Circuit documentary about Chinese Communist Party interference in New Zealand. Now, she is facing accusations of being ‘anti-Chinese’ and there have been attempts to block her access to the Chinese community. Justin Wong reports. (Disclaimer: Wong was also part of the reporting team on the documentary.)

Portia Mao is a veteran freelance journalist who’s been covering China-related issues in New Zealand since 2004. As well as running her own news website, she’s done work for media companies including on high-profile current affairs programmes 60 Minutes and Sunday, on issues such as how tainted milk powder from a Fonterra Chinese subsidiary destroyed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Chinese children.

So when she was approached to help with research for the documentary The Long Game Mao said she didn’t hesitate, because it was the job of a journalist.

“As an ethnic Chinese journalist, I am obligated to help if the mainstream media wants to understand the Chinese community or things about China,” Mao said. “I might be an ethnic Chinese journalist, but I am a New Zealand citizen, after all.”

Mao had hoped the documentary, published in June, would be a warning shot for those importing political ideology into New Zealand from their homeland.

But soon after it was published, China’s embassy hit back at the documentary, insisting ongoing coverage of foreign interference would eventually “harm” New Zealand’s interests.

And then Mao began to personally feel the backlash.

First, she was added into a chat group on Chinese-language communications app WeChat. The group was coordinating an Auckland anti-crime rally after a 16-year-old ethnic Chinese teenager was assaulted in an alleged hate crime on a bus in the city’s east.

WeChat is the heavily censored social network crucial amongst the mainland Chinese diaspora worldwide, being the only digital means to keep up with their friends and family in China, closed off by a filtered Internet.

But a member of the chat group wrote, “The participants’ list is a mess, I think I saw that Mao woman here.”

Mao was swiftly removed, a ban she believes is symbolic of the presence of vocal extreme Chinese nationalists within the community that’s made up of recent immigrants.

“They are brazen. They are a small group but they make themselves look like the majority,” Mao said.

It did not end there.

“Show no mercy to this anti-China person, let’s chase them out,” a message in another chat group read.

Another called Mao “scum of the earth” who deserved a beating. “Find someone with clubs to take care of her.”

There would be “zero tolerance” for “anti-Chinese elements” at events organised by Chinese associations, a third declared.

Two of Mao’s critics held aspirations for elected office or are now working in the public sector.

One of them is Morgan Xiao, an Auckland Council parking officer and twice local council candidate.

Since publication of The Long Game, in public WeChat posts, Xiao has linked Mao to what he proclaimed to be an “anti-China” clique, labelling her as “anti-Chinese”, and implying she backs Taiwanese independence, referencing new Chinese judiciary guidelines that prescribe the death penalty for “diehards” of independence efforts. These posts gained thousands of views.

“Portia Mao said she does not support Taiwanese independence because she never publicly said so. This is logically flawed … would Portia Mao please read this recently published [judiciary guidelines] in China,” Xiao’s post read, and without offering specifics, “there are lots of non-verbal acts that could be classified as supporting Taiwanese independence. Participation in pro-Taiwanese independence activities is one of them”.

From self-described “staunch defender of China”, former parliamentary and council candidate, Frank Fu, the message was more explicit.

Mao was the kind of person “who would kiss up to someone,” the herbal medicine specialist who chairs two Chinese associations in Auckland suggested to a chat group of more than 400 people, egging her to add his photograph into the documentary and taunting she “wouldn’t dare to return to our motherland”.

Fu said he was not a Chinese Communist Party member, but there was “no market here for anti-Chinese people”. In another message, he claimed Mao “used” the assaulted 16-year-old, whose story was first reported by her one-woman publication before major outlets from New Zealand to the UK picked it up, because the teenager “did not know she was anti-Chinese”.

In response to Stuff’s emailed requests for comment, Fu said they were “not welcome” and amounted to “bullying communication”. “I will report you,” he said.

Xiao told Stuff he was concerned about the tone of our questions, and didn’t address them, saying they were “invalid”. He also claimed the questions made false allegations about him and threatened legal action. He later published an article on WeChat titled “The Long Game’s production team going all out to save Portia Mao”, saying the questions were evidence of her encouraging others to spread “malicious accusations” of him.

In July, claiming defamation and online bullying, Xiao successfully applied to the District Court under the Harmful Digital Communications Act for a takedown order of two of Mao’s articles about him, dating as far back as November 2019. In an affidavit he said Mao had called him a “dog” in WeChat groups and “malicious” words widely published amongst the diaspora had caused him distress.

The articles contained critiques of Xiao, his actions and his politics.

The court decision was made “ex parte” without Mao having been advised of Xiao’s action or being given an opportunity to defend herself. She has since requested the court stay the decision, which she only learned of through a friend. She says she is concerned at the precedent the order set, believing it effectively muzzled New Zealand’s Chinese-language media. “I am not surprised that Xiao went to the courts. I believe this will not be the final outcome.”

For now, as accusations of advocating for Taiwanese independence hang over her head, Mao is anticipating the possibility she cannot safely return to China.