Nau mai haere mai.

Chris Hipkins’ meeting with Chinese premier Xi Jinping was probably never going to change the course of history. But beneath the calm diplomatic surface, all the world’s geopolitical tensions were there in the Great Hall of the People with the two leaders.

From China’s vast market, its power plays in the Pacific and treatment of minority groups at home, to its intentions towards Taiwan and alliance with Russia, Beijing’s place in modern global politics touches on every aspect of New Zealand’s own strategic calculations.

In particular, warnings of a “new cold War” present a small trading nation like ours with extremely difficult choices: how to balance membership of the Western “club” with massive and growing economic reliance on an Eastern superpower.

As Al Gillespie writes today, this inherent tension within New Zealand’s “independent foreign policy” is beginning to strain the diplomatic tightrope. With a forthcoming visit to the NATO summit in July, and a potential “pillar two” membership of AUKUS in the offing, Hipkins will perhaps be thankful his red-carpet visit came sooner rather than later.

Thanks again to all our subscribers, and to those of you who have supported our fundraising campaign over the past month. Until next week, mā te wā.