(CNN) China's attempts to influence national affairs in Australia and New Zealand have to be taken seriously, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned.

"Experts are sounding the alarm about Chinese efforts to gain political power and influence policy decisions," she said during a speech in Auckland Monday night.

"(Academic) Anne-Marie Brady of the University of Canterbury has rightly called this a new global battle, and it's just getting started," added Clinton.

China vehemently denies allegations that it tries to influence the domestic politics of other countries for its own benefit.

Clinton's comments follow a report by Brady published last month in the Journal of Democracy , accusing Beijing of carrying out a "concerted foreign-influence campaign" in New Zealand.

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