On September 24, the New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre released its annual cyber threat report, stating that China is the most persistent and capable state actor conducting cyber activities in New Zealand among the listed countries. Of the 369 major cyber incidents handled between July 2025 and June 2026, 86 were suspected to be related to state-sponsored actors, and the China-backed "Salt Typhoon" organization was named.
In August 2026, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service released an assessment stating that China is the only country the agency has found conducting “large-scale espionage activities” in New Zealand; the Chinese embassy in New Zealand denied the allegation at the time.