A Chinese Communist Party spokesman has urged New Zealand to "make the pie of co-operation bigger", amid a flurry of speculation in Beijing that Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta is growing cold on China.

Mahuta, in an interview published in the Guardian on Tuesday, spoke about the prospect of New Zealand finding itself in the “eye of the storm” of economic retribution from China, as Australia has been.

“We cannot ignore, obviously, what is happening in Australia with their relationship with China. And if they are close to an eye of the storm or in the eye of the storm, we have got to legitimately ask ourselves – it may only be a matter of time before the storm gets closer to us,” she said.

New Zealand’s position on China has been a sore spot in relations between New Zealand and Australia in recent months, and Mahuta’s comments were published days ahead of a meeting between Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. 

Ardern on Wednesday said Mahuta’s comments did not mark a shift in New Zealand’s position on China.

“If anyone had read the speech that was delivered ... by Minister Mahuta roughly a month ago, she very much [spoke of] New Zealand's position on these matters And I don't consider that to be a change in our position, or our rhetoric as all,” she said.

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In Beijing on Tuesday, foreign minister spokesman Zhao Lijian​ responded directly to Mahuta’s comment at a press conference.

“We hope New Zealand can carry forward the spirit of ‘striving to be the first’ and the principle of mutual respect and equal treatment, work with China towards the same direction, make the pie of co-operation bigger, rise above external distractions, and jointly advance China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership,” he said.

The Global Times, a nationalist tabloid with strong ties to China's Communist Party, published an editorial on Tuesday responding to Mahuta’s comments, which said New Zealand appeared to be under increasing pressure “as reflected by the Pacific island nation's sudden warning of a possible cooling of ties with Beijing”.

“There is no denying that geopolitical struggles are bringing headwinds to China-New Zealand relationship as the New Zealand Government has been criticised by its Western allies for being ‘soft’ toward China. For some time in the future, such pressure may continue to affect New Zealand, blocking it from maintaining normal ties with China,” the editorial read.

“We hope that its government is able to block out external interference to avoid being coerced by geopolitical pressure and to enhance the mutually beneficial bilateral co-operation with China to a new level.”

Mahuta’s office declined to comment on the response in Beijing.

In the interview with the Guardian, Mahuta also spoke of the changing nature of New Zealand’s “mature” relationships with China.

“The relationship with China has moved beyond the relationship of firsts – we were the first to achieve a free trade agreement with China – to a maturing relationship … where we can be respectful, consistent and predictable on the issues that are important to us, but also on the issues that separate and differentiate our view of the world from China.”

Mahuta also reiterated a call for businesses in New Zealand to diversify their export markets.