Mr Jones said on Wednesday he had accepted the title as vice-chairman of the Chinese Business Roundtable Council in an unofficial capacity, and had not yet decided whether to quit.
But one of New Zealand's most senior former politicians, Jonathan Hunt, says he resigned from the organisation on Wednesday, after the decision by the Serious Fraud Office and Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption to lay several charges against two of the council's leading members, May Wang, who now uses the name May Hao; and Jack Chen.
The pair were behind a failed bid for the Crafar farms, and have continued to work for Hong Kong dairy company Natural Dairy on an unofficial basis.
Mr Chen is the chairman of the roundtable council and Ms Wang is its executive secretary.
Michael Jones is listed on its website as vice-chairman, and former Labour MP Jonathan Hunt as honorary chairman.
Mr Hunt is a former Speaker of the House and a member of the Order of New Zealand.
One of Parliament's longest-serving MPs, he was New Zealand's High Commissioner in London from 2005 to 2008.
He said on Wednesday he had informed former Labour list candidate Steven Ching of his resignation.
Mr Ching is a member of the roundtable council, and was also involved in a new political party backed by Mr Chen.
The party was planning to contest this year's election but announced on Tuesday it was withdrawing.
Asked whether he had quit because of the charges laid against Mr Chen and Ms Wang, Mr Hunt said "probably", then refused to comment further.
Mr Hunt and Mr Jones have travelled with the roundtable council to China as recently as August.
Photographs on the council's website show them sitting alongside Mr Chen and Ms Wang at official functions.
There are also photographs of Mr Chen and Ms Wang meeting leading figures from the Maori Party.
Mr Jones said yesterday only a small part of his travel expenses in China were paid by Natural Dairy.
He did not know what arrangements Mr Hunt had made, but said most of his own dealings with the roundtable council had been through Mr Hunt.
- Karyn Scherer
