Polar opposites Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern are of one mind on pragmatic politics

Politically, Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern are polar opposites, yet they are also astute politicians who know the Australia-New Zealand relationship is bigger than both of them.

There is no doubt New Zealand has sought to differentiate itself from Australia in Beijing’s eyes.

The Ardern government saw the breakdown in Australia’s relationship with China as a mistake Wellington must avoid at all costs. New Zealand’s milk imports are, after all, far easier for China to replace than Australian iron ore.

So it’s unsurprising that rookie Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta expressed a reluctance for New Zealand to join Five Eyes statements condemning Beijing’s human rights record.

Rookie Trade Minister Damien O’Connor sought to chart a similar path when he said Australia should “show respect” and be more “cautious” when criticising China. The statements placed New Zealand in good stead with Beijing, with Chinese state media praising the Ardern government’s “very positive” behaviour and declaring the country stood to gain from Australia’s loss.

Ms Ardern, however, has a growing domestic political imperative to take a harder line on China, with many voters urging a more principled stance on Beijing’s economic coercion.

And despite the economic competition between Australia and New Zealand, Ms Ardern and Mr Morrison aren’t stretching the “family” metaphor.

New Zealand, as the smallest of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing partners, has the most to lose from being frozen out by its more powerful allies.

Ms Ardern knew she needed to close any gap between the countries on China during Mr Morrison’s two-day visit to Queenstown, and did so convincingly. Of course, she pretended there had been no differences to start with, but that’s not how Australia saw it. Senior Australian officials said the No 1 goal of the trip was to have the leaders “singing from the same hymn sheet” on China. To that extent, it was mission accomplished.