Anne-Marie Brady: Canterbury University professor and China expert on the Government's new Chinese ferry-builder

Concerns have been raised over the Government's new choice for a ferry-builder.

Guangzhou Shipyard International will build and deliver two new Cook Strait ferries by 2029.

It's a state-owned company that also builds Chinese warships, but Foreign Minister Peters says the military links and espionage concerns aren't a worry.

Canterbury University professor and China expert Anne-Marie Brady says this a confusing signal delivered by Peters.

"He's very concerned about the strategic infrastructure and also the harmful aspects of our relationship with China. So it's odd that they have chosen a military shipyard, which is what the Guangzhou Shipyard International is."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Ever, du for ze Ellen Huddle standing by going to
be with us shortly.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Now.

Speaker 1 (00:04):
On another subject, concerns have been raised about the shipyard
that the government has chosen to build our new cook
Straight ferries. It's Guangzhou Shipyard International, which also builds warships
for the Chinese Navy, and this has been identified as
a high risk shipyard by a Research Institute of Washington DC.
Anne Marie Brady is a China expert in Canterbury University,
Professor and with us Hi Ann Marie.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Good to talk to you.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
He do you think it's a bit of a dodgy
choice on our part?

Speaker 2 (00:31):
It's it's quite a confusing signal that our foreignans are
are sending us because we know that when he was
Foreign Minister with the Duran government and with this governor,
he's very concerned about the strategic infrastructure and also the
harmful aspects of our relationship with China. So it's odd

(00:53):
that they have chosen a military shipyard, which is what
the Guangdong Shipyard International is in Chinese. It's guang Trunk
Would It's always been a military ship plutyard. It builds
the PLA navy vessels such as their Taipo two torpedo
boat and high speed gun boats. They have also built

(01:15):
their hospital. They're a military hospital vessel. So it's a
It's an unusual choice because the Fairies are strategic infrastructure
for New Zealand. It's part of our national connectivity. So
you wouldn't want to give that kind of the contract
for that kind of technology to the state that you're

(01:37):
so concerned about. I mean, we you know, China's did
show of force in the Tasman Sea in February. The
SAS tell us that China is our main source of
foreign interference and spans they're the main source state source
of cyber attacks. China threatened economic coercion against US. You

(01:57):
think about it. If it was nineteen eighty seven, so at
Union said hey, I've got a great deal for you
on your telecommunication networks, we'd say no, thank you. We'll
certainly look powder and buy some laders from you, but
we won't give you access to our strategic and for structures.
So it's just a bit of a confusion, confusing signal.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
I think have you read about the US cranes that
have been built the Chinese cranes built for the US ports.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yeah, the US and the EU are looking really hard,
and the UK are looking really hard, and Australia at
strategic infrastructure and the dependency on China. And we've been
through this already, you know our police.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
But I want to ask you something about the.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
CCT cameras, and they don't about the cranes.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
So the thing about the cranes is that they're worried
that these cranes are able to have have had vulnerabilities
put into them that the Chinese are then able to
exploit at a time of their choosing, like a trojan
horse type thing, and then they can take control of
the crane if they need them. Is that realistic? And
the concern then is that the same thing maybe true
of the fairies. Is that realistic?

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Absolutely, yes, it is. Unfortunately, we are back into the
era of two worlds for strategic technology, and we are
also really we've got a hot war in Europe and
we've got hybrid warfare in the Indo Pacific, and we

(03:22):
really have we do have a risk of war in
our region too, unfortunately, So we cannot allow strategic technology
to be to be from a country where we have
at such a strategic risk as China. You think about
our New Zealand Navy boats, they're not made by China,
They're made by Germany, Australia, Korea, and we actually had

(03:45):
a deal with the Koreans and it's costing US six
hundred and seventy million dollars in break free fees. You
don't reverse that fees at the Koreans.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
Yeah, no, I think most of us who care about
money think this is one of the nuttier things that's happened. Listen,
An Marie, thanks so much appreciated. Add Marie Brady, China
expert in Cansbury University professor. For more from Heather Duplessy
Allen Drive, listen live to news Talks ed B from
four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio