Four New Zealand lawmakers who were handed travel bans by Beijing for visiting Taiwan have been accused of crossing a “red line” by the Chinese embassy in Wellington.

The ban – which covers mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau – was condemned by the New Zealand and Australian governments, which said they would lodge a formal protest.

The party, which visited the island in early May, included three members of the ruling centre-right coalition – National MP Maureen Pugh, David Wilson from NZ First and ACT’s Laura McClure – as well as one opposition MP, Labour’s Duncan Webb.

On Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said: “Recently, certain New Zealand Members of Parliament, disregarding China’s serious concerns and firm opposition, wilfully paid a visit to China’s Taiwan region, violating the one-China principle and interfering in China’s internal affairs.

“In accordance with relevant laws of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese side has decided to adopt measures on the individuals concerned, including denial of entry into China.”

On their return, the four MPs were notified by the New Zealand Parliament that the Chinese authorities had imposed a one-year travel ban, public broadcaster RNZ reported on Thursday.