New Zealand

On paper, China should loom large in New Zealand’s parliamentary elections later this month. Like its fellow Five Eyes intelligence partner Australia, claims of Chinese interference in politics shook the nation, and it has defied Beijing with its stances on Hong Kong, the Uygurs and the South China Sea.  And like its neighbor across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand relies on China more than any other country for its trade, sending it almost one-third of its exports. But in an election that is widely expected to keep Jacinda Ardern as prime minister on October 17, China has barely registered a mention. It is a reflection, in part, of how harmonious Wellington has managed to keep relations with Bei

As home prices reach one record after another, New Zealand has passed a law to ban most foreigners from buying homes in the country. That means Chinese people, mostly. The ban is about as strict as it gets in terms of slowing foreign money from flowing into the country, which New Zealand’s government says has made homes unaffordable for local citizens. New Zealand’s ban is a step up from similar measures adopted by countries from Canada to Australia, which often impose additional taxes on foreign home buyers. If it works out, it could be a case study for countries around the world looking to cool their housing markets. Pure land While foreigners have bolstered demand for the country’s real