WELLINGTON, New Zealand — On Saturday, an Air New Zealand plane bound for Shanghai abruptly turned around in circumstances that remain unclear. Days later, the launch of a much-promoted tourism initiative planned between China and New Zealand was canceled, purportedly because of scheduling issues for Beijing, despite being planned for years.

The incidents have raised concerns that New Zealand is the latest target of Beijing’s scorn, a worrying prospect for a country that relies on China for 15.3 billion New Zealand dollars, or more than $10 billion, of its export trade, the most goods it sends to any country.

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, on Wednesday admitted challenges in her country’s relationship with China but denied that those ties were deteriorating. Her remarks came in response to claims by commentators and her political opponents that New Zealand was experiencing retaliation because it had joined other Western nations by taking a tough stance against the Chinese technology company Huawei.

“The perception in Beijing is that New Zealand now has uncharacteristically joined the U.S. in containing China by trying to contain its technology companies — and they are prepared to retaliate,” said David Mahon, a New Zealand businessman who runs the investment management firm Mahon China and has lived in Beijing for 34 years.