Police protect MP from Chinese

A New Zealand police officer yesterday ordered Chinese officials to stop blocking Greens co-leader Rod Donald, who was protesting at the arrival of China's second-highest ranked leader, Wu Bangguo.

Mr Donald had received permission from the Speaker of the House, Margaret Wilson, to hold a Tibetan flag at the foot of Parliament's steps - about 10m from where she and Prime Minister Helen Clark were scheduled to formally greet the visitor.

When the MP unfurled his flag, waiting Chinese officials cried out for police help to remove him.

Three or four of them stood in front of Mr Donald to block him from the view of Mr Wu.

But Paul Kitney, a member of the diplomatic protection squad, told them that Mr Donald had a right to be there and ordered them to move away.

Moments later, Mr Wu's Daimler arrived in Parliament grounds but swept past the Maori welcoming party preparing for a brief powhiri and the red carpet up Parliament steps to enter the Beehive by an entrance surrounded by scaffolding.

It is not known whether Ms Wilson is allowing MPs to protest under traditions of parliamentary privilege that give members an unfettered right to go about their work, or whether she would consider a similar request from a non-parliamentarian - she would not discuss the matter.

But it is not the first time a protest from within Parliament has been sanctioned: Mr Donald and Greens colleague Nandor Tanczos made a similar protest during the recent visit of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

United Future leader Peter Dunne, chair of Parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee and normally a harsh critic of the Greens, said the Chinese reaction to yesterday's protest "reconfirms that they don't really understand the tenets of a democratic and open society".

The visit of Mr Wu, the chairman of the National People's Congress, is occurring a week ahead of a visit by Helen Clark to China, where she will discuss with President Hu Jintao progress on a free trade agreement after three rounds of negotiation.

At a parliamentary luncheon, Mr Wu likened New Zealand to a "glistening pearl" in the South Pacific and praised the leadership of Helen Clark.

"We heartily rejoice at the achievements made by the people of New Zealand under the leadership of Prime Minister Clark."

National Party leader Don Brash, in his speech, recalled his own encounters with various Chinese leaders and Helen Clark's eyes appeared to roll when he began talking about his wife.

"As most New Zealanders know, my own wife, though not from China, is Chinese," Dr Brash said of his Singaporean wife, Je Lan.

"My only regret is that she has not taught me Mandarin."

He said the only Mandarin he knew was "wo ai ni" - I love you - which greatly amused the Chinese speakers.

Mr Wu also visited Peter Jackson's Weta Workshop during his day in Wellington.