New Zealand has become the latest western nation to be engulfed in controversy over political donations made by Chinese businessmen with links to the Chinese Communist party.
Simon Bridges, leader of the National party, on Wednesday denied allegations he had attempted to conceal a NZ$100,000 (US$65,900) donation by Yikun Zhang, a Chinese businessman and community leader in Auckland.
The allegations were reported to New Zealand police by National MP Jami-Lee Ross, who released a secretly recorded telephone conversation between himself and Mr Bridges discussing a NZ$100,000 donation and the possibility of recruiting more Chinese as election candidates. The tape also contains disparaging comments made by Mr Bridges against fellow National MPs.