Australia is never short of surprises. One is the way it has produced a prime minister, Kevin Rudd, who can talk directly with the Chinese leadership in their language. Reports say his Mandarin Chinese is excellent.
Yet only a generation ago anyone in Canberra who could speak Chinese was seen as a potential subversive (I was there). An Australian foreign minister, Paul Hasluck, could talk about China as a "dog" that had to be restrained from biting the hand of anyone offering friendship.
Australia's "mateship" ethic is the key. It creates a highly personalist approach to foreign affairs. Canberra either likes you or dislikes you, with roller-coaster results.