New Zealand Minister of Defence Gerry Brownlee. Photo: FileChina rebuked New Zealand's defence minister at a forum in Beijing on Tuesday, criticising his stance on tensions in the South China Sea, saying countries "not involved" should not interfere. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion worth of trade passes each year. In February, New Zealand urged Chinese restraint after Beijing's apparent deployment of an advanced missile system on a South China Sea island, while Beijing said New Zealand's proposal was "unconstructive". China says much of the building and reclamation work it has been doing in the South China Sea is to benefit the international community, including for civilian maritime navigation.

Source: Otago Daily Times October 11, 2016 05:37 UTC