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Chinese Ambassador to NZ should 'pull her head in a bit' over travel ban plea - economist

February 16, 2020

Economist Rodney Jones says it’s tiresome having the Chinese Embassy lecturing NZ when we are dealing with an information vacuum on a serious issue.

Economist Rodney Jones is anticipating "quite a severe economic shock" for New Zealand in the fallout of COVID-19 coronavirus, and also said Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wu Xi needed to "pull her head in a bit" over her call for the travel ban to be lifted.

The restrictions prevent foreign nationals travelling from, or transiting through, mainland China to New Zealand.

Mr Jones, who spends his time between Auckland and Hong Kong, having lived in Beijing for a number of years, told TVNZ1's Q+A with Jack Tame that the impact coronavirus has had on Wuhan was "mind-blowingly bad".

"It’s what you see in a sci-fi movie, in terms of people being contained in their homes, unable to go out, the streets completely empty.

"We’ve never seen anything like this in our lifetimes."

The virus has had multiple economic and trade implications on New Zealand, with the Prime Minister last week outlining the negative impact it has had on forestry, education and tourism.

"We’re looking at a longer disruption," Mr Jones said. "If this lasts into March, which is possible, then we’re looking at quite a severe economic shock.

"Unless it resolves quickly in the next week... we have a problem."

He said two fundamental issues to the problem were China's sewage systems "that leave you vulnerable to these sorts of outbreaks", and the lack of GPs available.

"What allows these viruses to spread and propagate is the lack of an effective public health system," he said.

Mr Jones also told Q+A it was "a little bit tiresome having the Chinese Embassy lecturing us when we’re grappling in an information vacuum on something that’s profoundly serious".

In an opinion piece published by Mediaworks, Ambassador Wu Xi said the the "travel restrictions also gave grounds to an increase in racist and xenophobic behaviour, which is deeply regrettable". 

"We hope New Zealand will follow the WHO's recommendations and lift the travel restrictions as early as possible, so normal economic, trade and people exchanges between our two countries can continue," she wrote. 

"I think it’s time for the ambassador just to pull her head in a bit," Mr Jones said. 

"This is a serious governance failure."

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