United New Zealand leader, Hon Peter Dunne, has reacted angrily to what he describes as official bullying over attendance at a function to celebrate the election of Taiwan's new President.

He has released an e-mail sent from the Minister of Foreign Affairs' office warning MPs about attending the function, sponsored by Taiwan's representative in New Zealand, for fear of upsetting New Zealand's relationship with China.

"This sort of chin-dripping subservience is what we expect from timid bureaucrats, but it is hardly what we could have expected from a Government that says it wants an independent foreign policy, let alone an activist Minister like Mr Goff."

"New Zealand's ongoing cringing, uncritical acceptance of China's position on Taiwan is totally humiliating, and shows that our close relationship with China is really meaningless, if we are too afraid to speak for fear of offending them."

"It is high time New Zealand stood up for the rights of another small nation, and welcomed unequivocally the election of its new President."

"I will be attending the celebration function without any hesitation, and will be ignoring completely the grovelling position Mr Goff and his advisers want to adopt," he says.

ENDS