The New Zealand government acted quickly to close the country's borders, non-essential businesses and schools. The restrictions contributed to keeping the coronavirus infection rate among the lowest in the world.
China tried to dissuade the New Zealand government from imposing its tough restrictions to mitigate the coronavirus, believing them to be an"overreaction," New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has said.
But China did not believe such measures were necessary, according to Peters, who said his first call at the start of the crisis was with his Chinese counterpart. "We had a long discussion, but in the end I said: 'Look, you'll understand we've heard what you've got to say; that we've got to protect our own people, and as fast as we can; and it ended up with, 'Well, I hope I see you one day,' sort of thing."
He said he had to make China understand that"we are an island nation, where a lockdown will work much more effectively than other countries.
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