Ardern hopeful about working with Biden, cites similar ‘ideas and values’

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she was hopeful for U.S.-New Zealand relations under President-elect Biden, saying international relations are easier when “your ideas and values are similar.”

Ardern told The Associated Press world leaders are responsible for strengthening relationships with allies regardless of leadership, “but there’s no question that when some of your ideas and values are similar, that’s an easier job to do.”

“And so that’s the basis, I think, on which we’ll be building the relationship with the new president,” she added.

Ardern also discussed her reaction to exaggerated claims by President Trump after the country saw a sudden increase in cases of coronavirus after flattening its infection curve. Trump, arguing that other countries were faring no better than the U.S. against the virus, told rally crowds that “it’s over for New Zealand. Everything’s gone.”

The prime minister responded to Trump’s comments in the AP interview, saying, “Was angry the word?”

“To be described in that way was a misrepresentation of New Zealand’s position,” she added.

New Zealand, which has a population of 5 million, has seen only 25 deaths from the virus thus far.

“I remember my chief science adviser bringing me a graph that showed me what flattening the curve would look like for New Zealand,” Ardern told the AP. “And where our hospital and health capacity was. And the curve wasn’t sitting under that line. So we knew that flattening the curve wasn’t sufficient for us.”  

New Zealand implemented a strict lockdown and shut its borders in response to the virus. The result was more than 100 days with no community spread until the August outbreak in Auckland, the origins of which remain unknown. However, a second lockdown was able to eliminate community spread of the virus once again.