Asia Summit - experts discuss NZ's place in a rapidly evolving region
What are the big trends shaping Asia, how are New Zealand’s relationships in the region evolving and what opportunities and challenges lie ahead as New Zealand seeks to deepen and diversify its ties with Asia? These were just some of the topics discussed by leading academics and commentators at the Foundation’s 30th anniversary Asia Summit, held at parliament in October. In this article, we provide a summary of key points from each panel discussion, along with full video recordings of three of the talks for a deeper dive into the conversations.
Panel I: Changing Asia – the big trends shaping our region and our diplomacy
Panel I focussed on Asia’s changing geopolitical landscape.
While discussions traversed several topics, including trade, democracy and regional security, geopolitical tensions and great power rivalry took centre stage.
Introducing the panel, moderator Professor David Capie, Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University of Wellington, said the Indo-Pacific region is “undergoing some profound and unprecedented changes”. He highlighted shifts in the balance of military power and “much sharper and confrontational relations between US and China”.
It was noted by panellists that smaller countries heavily dependent on trade and the rules-based order, like New Zealand, will face difficult decisions in the years ahead.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Professor of International Relations at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, emphasised that New Zealand must expand its outlook to navigate the increasingly challenging geopolitical landscape.
He urged the country to diversify its connections and look beyond its traditional markets and allies, adopting a broader, more strategic approach to ensure resilience and growth in an uncertain environment.
Panel II: Voices of the Community
Panel II took a deep dive into the importance of people-to-people connections – looking at the roles the arts, sports and community interactions play in fostering closer ties between New Zealand and Asia.
Drawing from their own experiences and connections to Asia, the speakers highlighted the significant role cultural diplomacy plays in laying the groundwork for stronger diplomatic and economic ties. They stressed that beyond its strategic importance, cultural exchange holds intrinsic value, fostering mutual understanding and respect between nations.
We heard how some of our most important connections with the region are through our diaspora groups, artistic exchanges and sports communities and competitions.
While speaking on his experiences, Peter Miskimmin, Sports NZ’s Sports Diplomacy Manager, said that sporting connections can sometimes reach deeper than diplomatic ties. “Sports is a common language to bring Asia closer to New Zealand”.
Panel III: Insights on Asia – a new world order
Panel III was moderated by Alex Tan, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Canterbury University, and brought together leading experts to talk about regional geopolitical developments.
Discussions included rising security tensions in the South China Sea, the evolving regional economic architecture, mini-lateral groupings such as the Quad and the Squad, and the role (and limitations) of ASEAN.
Professor Natasha Hamilton-Hart, Director of the New Zealand Asia Institute at Auckland University, spoke about the “decoupling of economies”, noting that economic logic and rationality was being superseded by security motives and the rise of protectionism.
Associate Professor Jason Young commented that for New Zealand to effectively navigate the rapidly evolving regional dynamics, it was crucial to first understand the nature of the changes. This requires substantial investment in developing skills and expertise on Asia.
He added that New Zealand universities have largely fallen short in fostering such knowledge and capacity in recent years, leaving gaps in our ability to engage with the shifting landscape.
Panel IV: Voices of the Future
Panel IV was made up of young leaders and entrepreneurs the Foundation has supported to develop their connections to Asia.
Tama Toki, Ceo and Founder of Aotea, addressing the forum
The panel explored New Zealand's current relationship with Asia, considered its potential future trajectory, and discussed how New Zealand can capitalise on opportunities in the region.
Drawing on their own experiences, panelists spoke about the importance of people-to-people connections, and the role New Zealand’s Asian communities can play in engaging with the region.
Media in conversation: Media coverage in and of Asia
The media panel brought together leading journalists with expertise in Asia to discuss the importance and increasing challenges of reporting on and from the region.
In his opening remarks, Asia New Zealand Foundation Media Centre Manager Graeme Acton highlighted the scarcity of New Zealand foreign correspondents based in Asia, with most coverage of the region coming from international media outlets. He emphasised that the Foundation's Media Travel Grants are one of the few avenues through which New Zealand journalists can access the region to report firsthand.
Panellists stressed the critical role of having reporters stationed in Asia to foster a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the region. They also highlighted the challenges and obstacles journalists encounter when covering stories in certain countries, where political constraints can make reporting difficult.
Award winning journalist and North Korea expert Jean Lee noted that “access for journalists have become somewhat of a political tool.”
She spoke about the limitations of not having journalists on the ground in Asia.
“What you miss then is the human element. One of our responsibilities as journalists is not only to report news developments and to provide analysis but also, I think, to provide that human element… and give our audiences – our readers our viewers - an understanding of why we should care.”
Themes from the day
Key themes from the day included:
Asia is evolving rapidly, and the established norms New Zealand has relied on to build relationships and conduct trade may no longer be sufficient in an increasingly polarised region.
New Zealand needs to take the initiative and build connections with countries in Asia with shared values, interests and goals.
Fostering closer ties means looking beyond economic/security relationships and building understanding through people-to-people connections. This requires patience and longer-term thinking.
Building our understanding of the region also requires investing in skills and expertise on Asia.
Te ao Māori should be better integrated into our work in Asia – we can connect more deeply with communities through our common cultural links.
China-US tensions are not likely to recede in coming years, complicating New Zealand’s relationships in the region. This reinforces the need to invest in a broad array of partnerships and people-to-people connections for continued growth and resilience.
