NEW ZEALAND-PMs To Meet Amid China, Immigration Tensions

The prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand, Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern, will meet this weekend in Queenstown, NZ for the first face-to-face meeting between the trans-Tasman allies since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Two topics of potential disagreement between the social democrat Ardern and the conservative Morrison are relations with China, and immigration.
  • On China, Australia has engaged in a more combative diplomatic relationship with China in recent months. Morrison has called for investigations into the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a backlash and sanctions from Beijing. NZ on the other hand has sought to preserve good diplomatic relations, something that has protected the country's economy from damaging sanctions but has resulted in criticism from NZ's 5-Eyes intelligence allies for failing to present a united front against perceived Chinese interference.
  • Social liberal Ardern is also likely to raise once again Australia's "501" deportation policy with the social conservative Morrison. '501' sees foreign citizens deported for committing a crime, no matter the length of time they have lived in Australia. This policy has seen large numbers of individuals deported to NZ, causing some political tensions between the two gov'ts.