PM’s busy Singapore diary

Tuesday

Chocks away from Whenuapai on RNZAF Boeing 757-200 10 minutes early. Joining Ardern in first class are chief of staff Mike Munro, chief press secretary Andrew Campbell, foreign affairs adviser Paula Wilson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs chief executive Brook Barrington, and head of Asia division Ben King.

Ardern holds a standup for media at the stop in Cairns. Campbell tells media the PM will sit next to US Vice-President Mike Pence at the gala dinner on Wednesday, at his request.

PM holds a standup at stopover in Cairns. Media ask why Pence asked to sit next to her but no one knows. Is it because he is guaranteed not to get stuck with a dictator, a bore, a drunk, an idiot or a Canadian?

We land in stunning Singapore at dusk. Campbell confirms Ardern has bilateral meeting with Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi in the morning.

Wednesday

Singapore turns on thunder and lightning spectacular.

Ardern appears on popular Singapore TV breakfast show, on Channel News Asia, the first of three foreign media appearances (BBC and Bloomberg, too). Fifteen minutes quizzed by three hosts. Kindness. No sweat. No controversy.

Meetings begin at Suntec convention centre. Aung San Suu Kyi is grim, drawing global criticism for the treatment of the Muslim Rohingyas. Scott Morrison, the new Australian PM, suggests the next bilateral talks be held on Waiheke. Ardern suggests the Waikato. Morrison muses about a leaders’ summit in Te Awamutu.

More media questions about what she will be discussing with Mike Pence.

The leaders of 16 countries in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) meet under the stewardship of Singapore PM Lee Hsieng Loong. Talks have stalled but Lee has found a way to pronounce the worst acronym in trade deals. He calls is R-C-EP instead of Arse-Ep. At last.

Ardern meets Li Keqiang, China’s Premier, and reminds him of the record of Labour leaders with China. She says she raised issues of human rights and treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang in detention. Still no confirmation of her hoped-for trip to Beijing. Ardern’s dinner date turns out to be Mrs Karen Pence, not Mike Pence.

Thursday

The day begins with media standup at hotel with Winston Peters alongside. He arrived in time for the gala dinner after opening embassies in Stockholm and Dublin, and attending World War I commemorations in France.

Ardern spins her way out of the crossed wires over the Pence dinner date by denying anything was different to her expectations and looking perplexed she is even being questioned about it.

She is off to meetings at the East Asia Summit convention centre. First is Singapore’s Lee Hsieng Loong. Then Japan’s Shinzo Abe. The last time he met Ardern was a year ago in Danang, Vietnam, where he offered his sympathy on the demise of her cat. This year he offers congratulations on the birth of her daughter.

Next is Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 93. Winston Peters, 73, positively shines at meeting him again after 21 years and possibly the realisation that he might be mid-career, but gets agitated the media are in the room when Mahathir talks in unflattering terms about China, then has to dash off to Apec.

Ardern is left to placate the media. Deny there was anything to be read into the situation and look perplexed she is even being questioned about it.

Friday

Australian newspaper reports Ardern turned down a request for Nauru refugees to holiday in New Zealand. A clear case of border protection, says a former Aussie Minister. “Welcome to our world.”

Ardern attends a business breakfast and gives a speech that Bill English might have left in the bottom drawer of the Beehive. Well almost. New Zealand wants your foreign direct investment, she says. We are open for business.

Before speaking to the media about Nauru etc, Ardern holds a huddle with Campbell, Munro, Wilson and Barrington. There is great scope to offend here. Words matter. She denies the story. She is perplexed as to how it came about, and no, she doesn’t think the Australian Government enjoys seeing her squirm of the issue of secure borders.

And no, she will not be riding in one of PNG’s newly purchased Maseratis at Apec. It will be a Toyota Highlander for her.