US intelligence officials on visit

Minister for spy agencies Andrew Little had a high-level meeting with United States security officials in Wellington yesterday, where the decision to block Spark from using Huawei for its 5G network was almost certainly discussed.

A Globemaster C-17 plane was seen at Wellington Airport on Sunday night, and a spokeswoman for Little confirmed US officials were meeting staff from the NZ Security Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB).

“These security officials routinely meet with their New Zealand counterparts,” the spokeswoman said.

She said Little was at the meeting, but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was not.

She would not say if US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats was visiting.

Coats oversees the 16 US intelligence agencies, including the CIA and National Security Agency.

One item almost certainly raised was the GCSB’s decision to block Spark’s plans to use Chinese company Huawei for its 5G network, citing security concerns. China’s Government has criticised the decision, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang saying there was “serious concern”.

NZ is part of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance with the US, Britain, Australia and Canada, but GCSB director Andrew Hampton said he had come under no pressure from Five Eyes counterparts or from political quarters.

Hampton said there were several more steps in the process at which the decision could be reconsidered, ultimately by Little, who is Minister for the GCSB.