A security analyst's surprised the Chinese Embassy is taking such issue to one of its citizens being searched.

It says a Chinese citizen was subject to an interrogation and harassment at a New Zealand airport - with their personal devices taken away.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters says the embassy's statement is no risk to the NZ-China relationship.

Security analyst John Battersby says there's some surface level tension on display.

He says it does follow a threat environment report highlighting China, which it disputed.

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