'It was smoke and mirrors': Why New Zealand's government appears spooked by the prospect of anyone examining its dealings with China

It's kind of reminded me a bit of the old quote commonly attributed to George Orwell: "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is just public relations."

Here's what New Zealand would probably rather we didn't report:

• When the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group (USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) released joint statements condemning China's repeated human rights violations and encroachments in Hong Kong, New Zealand refused to sign them.
• New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Nanaia Mahuta, said she was "uncomfortable" with the statements being made by New Zealand's traditional allies about China, adding her country would respect Beijing's "particular customs, traditions and values".
• New Zealand's Trade Minister, Damien O'Connor, said Australia needed to show China more "respect" and "exercise a little more diplomacy".

Over the last month we've made numerous requests to interview New Zealand's Trade Minister and Foreign Minister on their government's ties to China but were repeatedly knocked back.

Yet the Prime Minister's office this week had the gall to claim our story would be unfair because the New Zealand government hadn't been approached for comment.

When we referred to specific emails, phone calls, dates and names, proving they avoided us, they then changed tack and claimed we hadn't sent them specific questions.

It was smoke and mirrors and left us wondering why New Zealand's government was so spooked by the prospect of anyone examining the country's dealings with China.

For what it's worth, New Zealand points out it's made a number of its own differently worded statements, condemning China's human rights violations (their press office helpfully sent us a laundry list of its actions).

But that then begs the question – if they are so strong when it comes to criticising China, why wouldn't they just stand shoulder to shoulder with their traditional allies at Five Eyes?

'It's certainly left many high-level strategists scratching their heads'

But perhaps, more notably, the tactic has pleased China.

Beijing's mouthpiece, The Global Times, lauded New Zealand's stance.

Fresh from dubbing the Five Eyes alliance the "axis of white supremacy", The Global Times also reflected that "New Zealand has been charting 'a very positive and clear path' in relation to China, in stark contrast to Australia's hostile actions, which could result in major gains for New Zealand products and services in the Chinese market as Australia stands to lose".

'Being praised by a communist propaganda rag isn't exactly a feather in your cap'

It's important not to forget why Five Eyes was criticising China: it's a country that's accused of running the world's biggest concentration camps since World War II. They're persecuting the Uyghurs. They're trying to overrun Taiwan. They've effectively already overtaken the previously democratic Hong Kong.

But there's another simple fact you can't ignore: the world needs to do business with China. It's an economic powerhouse.

Australia has paid the price for criticising China, suffering huge trade sanctions against a number of export industries, including barley, beef, lobsters and wine.

New Zealand, which takes a different approach to criticising China, has suffered none of those punishments.

It could be argued (and is the case pushed by New Zealand business leaders) that the Kiwis have actually played this smarter, and they can't afford to rock the boat too much given how dependent their economy is on exports to China.

But Australia is also extremely reliant on exports to China, yet is still willing to stand alongside its traditional allies and call a spade a spade.

Oh to be a fly on the wall when Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern begin their two-day summit this weekend.