Paula Bennett says National might bring in auditors to check out the Jami-Lee Ross allegations.

Southland mayor Gary Tong is in China as a guest of the millionaire businessman at the centre of allegations involving National Party leader Simon Bridges.

Auckland resident Yikun Zhang – awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in September for his services to New Zealand-China relations and the Chinese community – was made an informal business advisor to Southland earlier this year.

In a letter to Zhang in June, Tong said the pair had formed a "professional relationship and a friendship", which he was confident would "show rewards in the future of business" as overseas parties looked to invest in the region.

JOHN HAWKINS/STUFF Southland District Council mayor Gary Tong says he has a professional relationship and a friendship with businessman Yikun Zhang.

On Wednesday, he confirmed he was in China with Zhang, and was due to return home on October 22. Costs associated with the trip – flights, accommodation and food – were funded by the businessman, who'd also arranged the itinerary, the mayor said.

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Tong said he was in China to meet with "local government ministers and representatives to hear their views on economic development as well as possible commercial interests with Southland".

He was also "promoting Southland as a destination for historical and cultural links to South China and as a must do outside of just visiting Auckland".

Zhang was introducing him to "political links in South China".

Several Southland District councillors spoken to by Stuff knew Tong was in China, but were unsure why he was there. They had not heard of Zhang until Tuesday when rogue MP Jami-Lee Ross claimed the businessman had donated $100,000 to Bridges, which was then allegedly handled in a corrupt way.​

SUPPLIED Yikun Zhang with Governor-General of New Zealand Patsy Reddy after receiving an Order of Merit for services to New Zealand-China relations and the Chinese community.

Bridges strongly denies Ross' allegations. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Zhang.

Ross alleges the payment was split into smaller donations, and not disclosed to the Electoral Commission. Candidate donations of more than $1500 and party donations of more than $15000 must be declared.

Bridges, Ross and Tong aren't the only politicians Zhang has rubbed shoulders with. He's been photographed with Auckland mayor Phil Goff, National's Paula Bennett and Jian Yang, and Labour's Andrew Little.

ROSA WOODS/STUFF Jami-Lee Ross making explosive claims about the National Party.

Tong travelled to China in November last year where he had "lots of opportunities to help sell Southland to my Chinese hosts", he posted on Facebook at the time. The trip was sponsored by the Chao Shan General Association of New Zealand, an organisation Zhang set up.

In June, in response to an Official Information Act request, a council spokeswoman said Zhang had been a "friend of Southland" since he visited the region in 2016.

Tong had met Zhang in China, Auckland and Invercargill "accompanied by many business identities and Ministers and MPs".

SUPPLIED Southland District Council mayor Gary Tong visited China in November last year. The trip was sponsored by Chao Shan General Association of New Zealand, an organisation set up by businessman Yikun Zhang.

Zhang's business advising relationship had no job description and he had no powers "other than to advise now and hopefully into the future", the spokeswoman said.

The Southland District had received no donations from Zhang, but Tong had received two bottles of wine prior to a dinner in Auckland in 2016, along with the sponsored return trip to China last year where for he and his partner to attended business and local government introductions in Beijing and Guangzhou.

Tong provided Zhang two legs of fresh lamb from his farm and four live crayfish from a fishing trip in return. He also hosted Zhang in Southland, the spokeswoman said.

On Wednesday, Tong said Zhang had yet to do any work for the council, but had contacted him to "arrange or advise on any contacts in regards to aquaculture products".

Zhang was interested in Southland because "it is a great place with potential to grow".

"That can only be achieved through partnerships and commercial confidence."