A China expert says the New Zealand (NZ) government has been “too subtle” in its approach to recalibrating its relationship with Beijing, which has opened it up to criticism from allies, partners, and commentators who haven’t noticed. Anne-Marie Brady, a political science and international relations professor from the University of Canterbury, says the NZ government has sought to pursue an independent foreign policy while readjusting its China policies as it seeks to maintain a positive relationship with the communist regime. “Beginning in 2018, the Ardern government managed a cautious, case-by-case recalibration of the New Zealand-China relationship, passing new legislation and making quiet policy adjustments, all the while stating that any changes are ‘country agnostic’ or else avoiding mentioning that a change has occurred at all,” she wrote in a May update (pdf) to her 2017 paper, “Magic Weapons: China’s Political Influence Activities Under Xi Jinping.” Brady said the problem with …