Beijing says Australia has brought shame on itself as China praises New Zealand

New Zealand has been praised for setting a ‘good example’ on how to deal with Beijing, as Australia gets told off for working too closely with the US.

An outdoor screen shows news coverage of New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins meeting with China's President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People. Picture: AFP

New Zealand has been praised for setting a “good example” on how to deal with Beijing while Chinese party state media has declared Australia has brought “shame” on itself by working too closely with America.

President Xi Jinping has led the praise as Kiwi Prime Minister Chris Hipkins visits China with a delegation of more than 100 business, trade and tourism figures.

“Your visit this time is very meaningful,” China’s leader told the New Zealand PM at the opening of their brief meeting on Tuesday in the Great Hall of the People.

“I’m also aware that the international community, especially countries in our region, have been following your visit very closely,” Mr Xi said.

Beijing’s propaganda machine has gone into overdrive during the six day trip, the first by a NZ Prime Minister since Jacinda Ardern’s one day visit in 2019. Party state media and on-message foreign policy academics have been unsubtle in drawing links with Australia.

“Different from many Western countries, New Zealand maintains a mature and stable bilateral relationship with China,” said Sun Chang, a research assistant at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

She told the Global Times that Canberra was closely following Mr Hipkins’ visit to China, and said the “active exchanges between China and New Zealand may prompt Australia to further engage with China”.

The China Daily, Beijing’s most authoritative English language masthead, said the “healthy and mutually beneficial” relationship had “much to do with New Zealand keeping aloof from the US-led China bashing”.

“Although a member of the US-led Five Eyes Alliance, New Zealand has maintained its dignity and earned respect by shunning the gung ho participation in the US’ ‘Indo-Pacific’ strategy that has brought so much shame on Australia, Canada and the UK,” the China Daily wrote in its lead editorial on Thursday.

Kind words for NZ in the @ChinaDaily — barbs for Australia, Canada and the UK:

“New Zealand has maintained its dignity and earned respect by shunning the gung ho participation in the US' ‘Indo-Pacific’ strategy that has brought so much shame on Australia, Canada and the UK.” pic.twitter.com/DDPb194VZG

— Will Glasgow (@wmdglasgow) June 29, 2023

Despite Beijing’s portrayal, relations between Beijing and Wellington have become much more fractious in recent years.

Hours before Mr Hipkins 40 minute meeting with Xi on Tuesday, his Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta confirmed she had a “very robust discussion” with her Chinese counterpart Qin Gang in March.

The Australian on Saturday revealed the previously unreported exchange, which covered Xinjiang, Hong Kong, the South China Sea and increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

New Zealand’s top diplomat declined to describe the encounter as a “haranguing” or “Wolf Warrior attack”.

“That’s the Australian characterisation, and they’re used to those types of references. I would say it was a robust discussion,” Foreign Minister Mahuta said.

President Xi on Tuesday declared that “China always views New Zealand as a friend and a partner”.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the New Zealand PM said it was “warm” but he was reluctant to embrace Mr Xi’s “friend” description.

“It depends on the context,” Mr Hipkins said.

Later, he used similar language to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who he has met twice in Australia since he became New Zealand’s leader in January.

“We work together where it’s in our mutual interests to do that. Where we need to disagree or we do disagree, then we convey that as well,” Mr Hipkins said.

The New Zealand leader’s audience with China’s paramount leader ran to 40 minutes, which only allowed for 20 minutes of talk after translation, including pleasantries.

It followed immediately after a similarly brief meeting between Mr Xi and the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Amor Mottley. Afterwards Mr Xi squeezed in two more meetings, one with Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh and then with the Prime Minister of Mongolia Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene.

The New Zealand PM featured prominently on China’s flagship bulletin on CCTV where he was shown taking notes as Mr Xi spoke and then listening attentively as China’s Premier Li Qiang gave a speech on “win win” development.

Here’s @jinpeili on how NZ PM Chris Hipkins was presented on CCTV’s main bulletin last night:

“Xi lectured Hipkins, and Hipkins studiously took notes”https://t.co/vP5We4vPFCpic.twitter.com/HLhrai2HoF

— Will Glasgow (@wmdglasgow) June 28, 2023

On Thursday, the New Zealand delegation — which includes Trade Minister Damien O’Connor and Tourism Minister Peeni Henare — are in Shanghai where they will finish the six day tour.

Tony Browne, a former New Zealand Ambassador to China, said there was a “growing ambiguity” about the country’s relations with Beijing.

“We’re in a period of some uncertainty in our relationship with China,” Mr Browne told The Australian.

Underscoring those tensions, weeks after the New Zealand Prime Minister’s China trip, he will fly to Lithuania for a NATO summit in July.

“He can’t afford to go there having smothered himself in Chinese propaganda. He’s got to be able to show that he is able to find space in both capitals, both situations,” Mr Browne said.