China News Service, April 27th, according to reports from Australia.com. Recently, the relationship between Australia and its neighbor New Zealand is a bit delicate.

After the trade friction between China and Australia, New Zealand not only failed to support Australia, but frequently spoke out to persuade this neighbor to understand the situation.

Data map: Melbourne, Australia, a tram driving along an empty city road.

New Zealand's call: Australia can follow us

  According to the Ninth News of Australia, on the issue of trade friction between China and Australia, as early as December 2020, the New Zealand government officially proposed to intervene and try to resolve the trade dispute between the two countries.

  In January 2021, New Zealand Minister of Trade O'Connor and Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao signed an upgraded version of the free trade agreement in a video conference.

According to the Times, O'Connor said at the time that Australia had mishandled its relationship with China and that Australia should follow New Zealand and use diplomatic methods.

  O'Connor said that at this moment, nationalism "is no longer the way forward." Building more trade relations and friendly cooperation with China is the most correct thing.

  Recently, Australia tore up the “Belt and Road” agreement reached between Victoria and China, which caused the relationship between China and Australia to continue to decline.

However, New Zealand and China signed a "non-binding" memorandum of understanding on the "Belt and Road" initiative.

  According to the New Zealand Herald, New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Mahuta talked about New Zealand’s relationship with China in a recent speech, and elaborated on when and how New Zealand should communicate with its largest trading partner.

She also said, “We are more willing to seek multilateral opportunities and express our interest in a range of issues.”

"Five Eyes Alliance" or "Four Eyes"?

  Not only that, in the past year, the New Zealand government's apparent absence in several joint statements of the "Five Eyes Alliance" has also caused anxiety in Australia.

Mahuta once said that New Zealand is not used to using the "Five Eyes Alliance" as the starting point for New Zealand to send its message to China.

  The report pointed out that although New Zealand is a member of the "Five Eyes Alliance", it has long adhered to a relatively independent foreign policy based on its own interests.

The data picture shows New Zealand under the epidemic.

  Mahuta recently stated again that he opposes pressure on China through the "Five Eyes Alliance" and opposes the expansion of the "authorities" of the "Five Eyes Alliance."

She stated that relations between Singapore and China should be developed on the basis of mutual respect and mutual benefit.

  The British "Daily Telegraph" also published an article titled "New Zealand Opens "Five Eyes" and Develops a Closer Relationship with China."

The article pointed out that New Zealand is now trying to keep a distance from the "Five Eyes Alliance" in order to maintain and develop trade relations with China.

  According to the article, Mahuta also described the relationship between China and New Zealand as the relationship between "dragon and Taniva". "Taniwa and dragon symbolize the power of our specific customs, traditions and values. They are not always the same. , But it needs to be maintained and respected."

  The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) wrote that the inconsistency between New Zealand and Australia's China policy and the judgment on the role of the "Five Eyes Alliance" seems to appear again.

"I feel sorry for those who consider themselves allies of the United States"

  Not only at the government level, but the media and people have their own views on Australia and New Zealand’s attitudes towards China.

  ABC recently published an article stating that for New Zealand, trade with China is very important.

Hodley, associate professor of politics and international relations at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, said: "You can't insult your best trading partner for no reason. After all, in New Zealand, the standard of living depends largely on trade conditions."

  Many netizens also expressed their views on the differences in Australia and New Zealand's China policy.

Some netizens said, "It is a fact that China is New Zealand's largest trading partner." "No Western country has such a wealth of trading experience with China as New Zealand."

  Some netizens pointed out directly, “The United States exerted pressure on Australia to keep it away from trade with China, and then profited from the trade that Australia lost due to aggrieved. I feel sorry for those Australians who consider themselves important allies of the United States. Because in reality, they are just a dispensable asset."

  Regardless of the voices of all walks of life, Australia and New Zealand seem to have embarked on different diplomatic paths, and how they will develop in the future, the people living in the two countries will be the one with the most judgmental voice.