Category: Asia New Zealand Foundation

In 1902, the SS Ventnor, a ship carrying the remains of hundreds of Chinese gold miners, sank off the coast of Hokianga. In the years after, local communities gathered bones washed onto shore for safekeeping. After three days in the Far North paying respects to ancestors and those who cared for their remains, James To reflects on the ways the historic event has connected Māori and Chinese.

(continue reading below)

There’s nothing quite like that typical Kiwi experience of kicking off your socks and shoes at the beach, and running out in your bare feet.

This is the stuff of childhood memories, family holidays, or just escaping the rigours of city life and becoming one with nature. At first, you bounce gingerly along the hot fluffy sands that has been baking in hours of summer heat; but as you approach the shore line, the transition to the squelchy, wet ground offers a most delightful sensation: soft grit squishing between your toes; your tired soles enjoying the cool, rolling sensation that comes with each step; and then finally what you’ve been waiting for – complete relief as you hit the surf.

I was soaking all of this up out in the Far North with my wife and two kids at the end of a late summer. 

But this wasn’t your average family getaway; we were with 50 others on a three-day trip. We travelled in a big bus that took us across some of the most luscious rugged scenery you’ll ever see in Godzone; enjoying a brief ferry ride across the waters of the Hokianga Harbour, and finally arriving to warm pōwhiri welcome by our Māori friends in Rawene, then by Te Rarawa on the next day at Matihetihe Marae at Mitimiti, and finally by Te Roroa at Kawerua near the Waipoua Forest.

At each pōwhiri, we were more than just a bunch of curious tourists or visiting guests. The greetings we received with a big smile, warm hug and hongi were a hearty and sincere “kia ora whānau!”. 

For once, as a Chinese-New Zealander, I didn’t feel like an outsider anymore.

And it didn’t take long to realise why. We had “returned” to possibly the most significant place in Aotearoa for Māori-Chinese relations.

Spiritually linked

On a fateful night in 1902, a vessel named the SS Ventnor bound for Canton (now known as Guangzhou), sank off the Hokianga coast, claiming the lives of 13 crew members.

What made this tragedy more significant was the cargo on board. Apart from items such as coal, dried fruit and tobacco, the ship was chartered to transport the remains of about 500 Chinese gold miners back to their homeland for burial.

Over the years, local Māori communities have been gathering bones washed onto shore for safekeeping – and this story has served to connect Chinese with Pākehā and Māori symbolically and spiritually ever since.

Some in our group could claim direct ancestry to the bones themselves, and others shared iwi relations.

The kaumātua spoke of intermarriage between Māori and Chinese in his own extended Te Rarawa family. And overlooking the urupā (burial site) at Mitimiti was the Red Gateway – a bold red wooden arch nestled amongst the gently swaying toetoe that recalled these connections and history with strength and serenity. So yes, we really were whānau.

It then occurred to me that this was not so much a visit, but more a pilgrimage in many respects.

In fact, the timing of our travel up north was specifically planned to revolve around Qing Ming, a traditional annual occasion where Chinese families head out to the cemetery to tend, clean and sweep the tombs and gravestones of their forebears.

And so back to the beach where we were looking far out into the horizon. We offered incense with three deep bows and burnt notes to honour those who had passed; we conveyed to their spirits our thoughts and prayers.

It was also our moment to pay tribute and thanks to those who have cared for our lost ones with dignity and respect. In our hands were long bamboo poles, for scrawling messages to our ancestors into the wet sand.

This was where earth and sea met, a final resting place to remember and connect to a moment that occurred more than 100 years ago – and at the same time ponder our past, present and future relationship with the land and its peoples, and how we all fit into that.

So for myself, my family, and certainly those who travelled with me to Mitimiti and Kawerua – those wonderful sensations of running onto the beach now evoke not just the nostalgia of long hot summers, but a completely new set of emotions and recollections that is forever woven into our social tapestry – adding to a rich history of intercultural connectedness, and pointing a way ahead for establishing a powerful shared identity as New Zealanders.

It’s amazing what a day or two at the beach can do.

James To is National Secretary of the New Zealand Chinese Association. Views expressed in this article are personal to the author.

This article was first published by the Foundation’s Asia Media Centre

The legacy of the SS Ventnor

• The SS Ventnor sank off the Hokianga Heads in October 1902, after striking a reef off the coast of Taranaki. The steamship had been carrying the coffins of about 500 Chinese men, mostly goldminers in Otago and Southland, back to their homeland. Thirteen crew members and passengers died.
• The boat had been chartered by a Chinese community group Cheong Sing Tong to send to remains back to China for reburial in their home villages – mostly in Poon Yu, Guangdong.
• Otago businessman Choie Sew Hoy was the first president of the Cheong Shing Tong group. Through his arrangements, in 1883 another ship had safely carried 230 exhumed bodies to China.
• Sew Hoy died in 1901 and his body was among those lost on the Ventnor.
• In 2007, New Zealand-born Chinese researchers learnt that members of Northland iwi Te Rarawa and Te Roroa had grown up with stories about human remains washing up on beaches and being buried in urupā (burial places). In 2009, Chinese New Zealand Ventnor descendants were invited to Te Rarawa and Te Roroa marae (Matihetihe Marae in Mitimiti, and Matatina Marae in the Waipoua forest) to pay their respects.
• Since then, several ceremonies have been held to honour the dead. In April 2013, plaques were erected to mark gratitude to the Māori who had cared for the remains.
• In early 2014, a diving group, the Project Ventnor Group, began to examine the 150-metre deep wreckage., having confirmed its location the year before. They retrieved five objects from the wreck, causing the New Zealand Chinese Association and the Human Rights Commission to express concern about a “lack of respect” and consultation. 
• In May 2014, the wreck was given legal protection. It is now covered by archaeological provisions of the Historic Places Act 1993.
• Planning is underway for a Chinese Historic Ventnor Trail in Northland and work is underway identifying a site for a memorial.
• The sinking of the Ventnor inspired Renee Liang’s play The Bone Feeder, later made into an opera.

24 April 2018

Arts and Culture

China

In this article, Ashalyna Noa describes travelling to Samoa and China to conduct fieldwork for her PhD, which examines New Zealand and China’s foreign aid and soft power in the Pacific. The Foundation supported Ashalyna’s research with a postgraduate research grant.

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Navigating the complexities of my own cultural identity has played a significant part in shaping my interest in international relations. On my maternal side, my grandmother is Samoan, German and American and my grandfather is Samoan Chinese. On my paternal side, my grandfather was born and raised in Papua New Guinea but is Samoan Tongan and my grandmother is Samoan English.

I have always been interested in understanding the relations between these different countries, their cultures and peoples. Through my studies I have been able to explore some of these connections.

My master’s research analysed the impact of the Chinese in Samoa by examining China’s contribution of ‘human capital’, through early Chinese entrepreneurship and the indentured labour scheme.

This research helped me to piece together part of my family history, as my great grandfather was one of the first twelve Chinese men to settle in Samoa. He set up a number of businesses, became one of the first owners of race horses in Samoa and a foundation member of Samoa’s Chinese Association.

As a first generation New Zealand born Samoan, I wanted to build on what I had learnt from my previous research, with a focus on New Zealand’s connections in the Pacific.

My PhD examines New Zealand and China’s foreign aid and soft power in the Pacific. It explores the interests and approaches of the donors in the region; the interests and responses of the recipient countries; and its impact on the Pacific.

With the support of an Asia New Zealand Foundation postgraduate research grant, I was able to travel to Samoa in August-Sept 2017 to conduct field work. During this time, I interviewed a number of participants including current and former Government officials and public servants and also visited a number of sites funded by Chinese aid.

Prior to heading to Samoa, I was riding a rollercoaster of excitement and apprehension. It was such a privilege to be there for my studies.

Being born and raised in New Zealand, like many New Zealand born Samoan can relate to, I constantly had that conflict of not being seen as a New Zealander in New Zealand and then instantly standing out as a New Zealand born when you set foot in Samoa. I was apprehensive about being an insider outsider and wondered how this would influence my research.  

Each of my interviewees provided me with great insight on different aspects of New Zealand and China’s support in Samoa – from narratives of Samoa’s experiences at a world stage, to its historical connections with New Zealand and China and how it has evolved today, perspectives on current projects, local building company perspectives, negotiation and interactions at local, regional and international levels. 

There was a wealth of expertise and knowledge that is not often reflected in the literature that I was enthusiastic to soak up.

Hearing and reading the reactions of locals about China’s influence in Samoa was interesting. It often did not reflect the perspectives of those in positions of authority that I had been interviewing.

These perspectives mirror that of the first wave of Chinese migrants. Of notable difference this time, is the number of Samoans with Chinese heritage, especially in positions of authority and how these connections can be leveraged in diplomacy.

During my time there, Samoa hosted the 48th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting. The theme of the Forum was ‘The Blue Pacific’, which signified a strengths-based concept of ownership and collaboration for the region.

There was a real buzz in town, with high profile delegates, observers and partners present. Although these events impacted on the availability of a number of my potential participants, the experiences on the ground and anecdotal feedback from people present at the Forum was additional material I had not factored in prior to travelling to Samoa.

I was also able to travel to China for the first time and spent some time in Beijing and Shanghai. I was initially overwhelmed by the size of the cities and population. In Beijing I spent a day with a senior Pacific diplomat and heard about their experiences in China.

My experiences in Samoa and China influenced my research in a way that text books and interviews alone could not have. In a research capacity, these experiences enabled me to weave in more cultural elements to my methodology and enabled me to adapt to the culture of the different environments.

It was the cultural insights and alternative perspectives that were invaluable and provides a basis for understanding the different contexts at play in my research.

Find out more

• Find out about the Foundation’s research programme
• Read more articles from our research programme

23 April 2018

Research

China

The Asia New Zealand Foundation, in partnership with the New Zealand India Research Institute, will lead a delegation of experts to New Delhi for talks with officials and leading think tanks. The visit is part of the Foundation’s Track II programme in Asia.

The Foundation’s executive director Mr Simon Draper will be heading the delegation, which includes Prof Sekhar Bandyopadhyay (Director, New Zealand India Research Institute), Dr Manjeet Pardesi (Senior Lecturer, Political Science and International Relations Programme, Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University of Wellington), Dr Kate McMillan (Senior Lecturer in Comparative Politics, Victoria University of Wellington), Abbas Nazari (Asia New Zealand Foundation Leadership Network Member), and Dr James To (Senior Advisor Research, Asia New Zealand Foundation).               

“The Asia-Pacific region is facing myriad challenges and India’s response will be consequential for New Zealand in terms of economic prosperity or security,” says Mr Draper. “There are several ways forward, and it is important New Zealand understands what is driving India’s responses.  The best way to get that understanding is face to face.”

The Foundation published a research two years ago which looked at ways India and New Zealand could deepen connectivity beyond ‘cricket, climbing and the Commonwealth’.

“One of the ways we can do this is to engage in a free and frank conversation on the many foreign policy, security and trade challenges facing India and New Zealand, and Track II – or informal diplomacy, with think tanks – helps support this engagement.”

Mr Draper says the visit also serves as a useful opportunity to find out what’s framing Delhi’s current domestic and international policies.

“We want to hear our Indian colleagues’ thoughts on issues that impact on us.  For instance, when they talk about trade, does New Zealand matter? And when it comes to regional security, how does India view New Zealand’s engagement in the region? We also want to share our thoughts on why we prefer ‘Asia-Pacific’ over ‘Indo-Pacific’,” Mr Draper says.

Engagement with India’s diaspora is a priority for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. New Zealand’s Indian community numbers around 170,000, the second largest Asian ethnic group in the country. The Track II delegation also aims to find out how people-to-people links can play an important role in building the relationship between the two countries.

About the Asia New Zealand Foundation

The Asia New Zealand Foundation is the pre-eminent non-profit, non-partisan organisation in the country focussed on New Zealand-Asia relations.  Our mission is to equip New Zealanders to thrive in Asia by enabling deeper connections, awareness and knowledge.

Find out more

• Find about the Foundation’s Track II programme 

19 April 2018

Track II

Media Releases

India

Dialogue important in NZ’s engagement with India

Closing in on the half way point of his Foundation residency at Kriti Gallery in Varanasi, India, artist Elliot Collins gives his observations of this city on the banks of the Ganges.

(continue reading below)

Watch a slideshow of Elliot’s images of Varanasi

It seems strange to talk about being half way into my Varanasi residency, but my half way point is approaching and it feels apt to mention navigation, space and perspective.

This place walks the fine line of truth and fiction. It is easy to see how mythology folds naturally into everyday life here. Even the smell in the air of honeysuckle and incense mixed with cow manure and roasting spices betrays and confuses memory. I am gently reminded that I will never fully know this place, it will always keep something from the visitor.

If I told you that I passed a boat learning to fly or a monkeys that can talk to children I wouldn’t be entirely lying. There is so much rich storytelling material here that I was initially overwhelmed. As I return to the river, the city seems to persist in its unfolding and I change to meet it, no longer phased by the pollution, poverty or beggars but with a resolve to address it upon my return Aotearoa.

On one walk along the river, I find a submarine-like life boat sat on the steps of the ghats and watch a sardu (holy man) playing a convincing game of cricket with some local children. There is a stepwell called Manikanika Kund where pilgrims come to bathe that is a geometric dream that leads down to a still pool that reflects the stars at night. Over on the river’s edge a temple sinks on its foundations and people bathe, cleansed by Mother Ganga. 

Just along from Manikanika are the burning ghats (places where cremations are held) with wooden logs stacked high in orderly towers. These are purchased by families who have brought their deceased loved one to the river for cremation and interring into the river. They walk in a procession along the road chanting and singing with the cloaked body raised upon their shoulders. This was a shock at first, but after sitting on the steps watching the whole event unfold, there is a very peaceful and natural aspect to this tradition. In the Hindu faith, this process is the end point of reincarnation, death and rebirth.

Leaving the ghats, there are endless chai stalls selling sweet and restorative tea to the weary pilgrims. I will often stand sipping the hot tea out of terracotta cups, which are smashed on the ground after use, next to shopkeepers who seem rooted like plants in their kiosks, growing too big for their container.

A little further on, holy men worship and chant, slowly turning to stone, their faces covered in pigment and hair tied in a knot. I have become accustomed to the cows wandering the streets, lanes and alleyways around the city. I’m told they hold the gods in their bellies, so I always give them some space as they wander around unimpeded by the noise and pace of the city. You’ll see people tap them lightly as they pass.

This ancient city, which is built on ancient cities, whispers ‘creation, destruction, creation, destruction’ endlessly as I weave through different areas of markets and temples. Hanuman, Shiva and Ganesha statues and shrines are everywhere and must come to life and coat themselves in vermillion paint in the night, which is the only way to explain the hurried paint job, always fresh but always quickly applied.

I have spent most of my time here filming the river from different ghats, so I often find myself sitting on the painted steps that lead to different worlds beyond the river. The steps sit below castles and fortresses and fold out like origami to reveal that they are all one but with many different sides.

There seems to be no wrong turn in Varanasi, just a different way to arrive at your destination. This adds to the many unexplainable yet somehow ordinary occurrences that life in Varanasi gifts you. This is a place where, as a tourist, you have to sit in the mystery and be carried by the flow of the traffic, the people and the rhythm of the river.

It is very hard to define this experience. Being in among the chaos, the city seems to fold you into her disordered embrace and leads you, again, to the river. However, with the sun setting like a deep red bindi circle in the sky, it is perhaps necessary to speak in riddle or metaphor. And although it might seem mysterious, and I might be caught up in the allegory of this place, because of everything I’ve experienced in this enchanted place and for reasons I can’t explain, I now know what gold smells like.

Elliot Collins is a text based artist who works across multiple disciplines to generate artwork that plays with ideas of memory, trace, memorial and invisibility. While on residency at Kriti Gallery, Elliot hopes to engage with the local life and experience daily rituals as he reflectively continues to make work in response to his surroundings. 

Find out more

• Find ouut more about the Foundation’s arts and culture programme
• Read more stories from our arts and culture programme

11 April 2018

Arts and Culture

India

Closing in on the half way point of his Foundation residency at Kriti Gallery in Varanasi, India, artist Elliot Collins gives his observations of this city on the banks of the Ganges and the people who inhabit it. 

(continue reading below)

Watch a slideshow of Elliot’s images of Varanasi

It seems strange to talk about being half way into my Varanasi residency, but my half way point is approaching and it feels apt to mention navigation, space and perspective.

This place walks the fine line of truth and fiction. It is easy to see how mythology folds naturally into everyday life here. Even the smell in the air of honeysuckle and incense mixed with cow manure and roasting spices betrays and confuses memory. I am gently reminded that I will never fully know this place, it will always keep something from the visitor.

If I told you that I passed a boat learning to fly or a monkeys that can talk to children I wouldn’t be entirely lying. There is so much rich storytelling material here that I was initially overwhelmed. As I return to the river, the city seems to persist in its unfolding and I change to meet it, no longer phased by the pollution, poverty or beggars but with a resolve to address it upon my return Aotearoa.

On one walk along the river, I find a submarine-like life boat sat on the steps of the ghats and watch a sardu (holy man) playing a convincing game of cricket with some local children. There is a stepwell called Manikanika Kund where pilgrims come to bathe that is a geometric dream that leads down to a still pool that reflects the stars at night. Over on the river’s edge a temple sinks on its foundations and people bathe, cleansed by Mother Ganga. 

Just along from Manikanika are the burning ghats (places where cremations are held) with wooden logs stacked high in orderly towers. These are purchased by families who have brought their deceased loved one to the river for cremation and interring into the river. They walk in a procession along the road chanting and singing with the cloaked body raised upon their shoulders. This was a shock at first, but after sitting on the steps watching the whole event unfold, there is a very peaceful and natural aspect to this tradition. In the Hindu faith, this process is the end point of reincarnation, death and rebirth.

Leaving the ghats, there are endless chai stalls selling sweet and restorative tea to the weary pilgrims. I will often stand sipping the hot tea out of terracotta cups, which are smashed on the ground after use, next to shopkeepers who seem rooted like plants in their kiosks, growing too big for their container.

A little further on, holy men worship and chant, slowly turning to stone, their faces covered in pigment and hair tied in a knot. I have become accustomed to the cows wandering the streets, lanes and alleyways around the city. I’m told they hold the gods in their bellies, so I always give them some space as they wander around unimpeded by the noise and pace of the city. You’ll see people tap them lightly as they pass.

This ancient city, which is built on ancient cities, whispers ‘creation, destruction, creation, destruction’ endlessly as I weave through different areas of markets and temples. Hanuman, Shiva and Ganesha statues and shrines are everywhere and must come to life and coat themselves in vermillion paint in the night, which is the only way to explain the hurried paint job, always fresh but always quickly applied.

I have spent most of my time here filming the river from different ghats, so I often find myself sitting on the painted steps that lead to different worlds beyond the river. The steps sit below castles and fortresses and fold out like origami to reveal that they are all one but with many different sides.

There seems to be no wrong turn in Varanasi, just a different way to arrive at your destination. This adds to the many unexplainable yet somehow ordinary occurrences that life in Varanasi gifts you. This is a place where, as a tourist, you have to sit in the mystery and be carried by the flow of the traffic, the people and the rhythm of the river.

It is very hard to define this experience. Being in among the chaos, the city seems to fold you into her disordered embrace and leads you, again, to the river. However, with the sun setting like a deep red bindi circle in the sky, it is perhaps necessary to speak in riddle or metaphor. And although it might seem mysterious, and I might be caught up in the allegory of this place, because of everything I’ve experienced in this enchanted place and for reasons I can’t explain, I now know what gold smells like.

Elliot Collins is a text based artist who works across multiple disciplines to generate artwork that plays with ideas of memory, trace, memorial and invisibility. While on residency at Kriti Gallery, Elliot hopes to engage with the local life and experience daily rituals as he reflectively continues to make work in response to his surroundings. 

Find out more

• Find ouut more about the Foundation’s arts and culture programme
• Read more stories from our arts and culture programme

11 April 2018

Arts and Culture

India

Saint Peter’s College teacher Claire Begovic was one of nine New Zealand teachers who travelled to South Korea as part of the Korea Studies Workshop. The one week trip saw the New Zealand teachers meet with an Australian cohort to learn about Korean culture, history and society.

In this Q&A Claire talks about her time in South Korea and what she took away from the experience.

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Why did you want to attend the trip?

I applied for the trip as I had never been to South Korea. I thought this would be a fantastic opportunity to see a country and experience a culture I knew little about. 

As a History teacher, I always find it easier to teach about a place that I have been to and in my experience my students also benefit from a first-hand account.

Can you tell us about some of the activities you did in South Korea?

We were extremely fortunate to spend a morning at Ewha Womans University, attending three extremely interesting lectures about the economy, religion and pop culture. In addition, the trip to the Hyundai factory was a highlight. I know very little about cars, but the organisation of the assembly line and the work culture that has been established within the company was unique to witness. 

The visit to Yong-Ill High School was also fun – the students gave presentations about a variety of aspects about the Korean education system.

What was the highlight of the trip?

For me personally, I cannot single out one highlight! Meeting other teachers from New Zealand and Australia was fabulous and proved to be excellent professional development. The visit to the War Museum provided an opportunity to really reflect on the division of Korea and the ongoing effects. Meeting and listening to a North Korean defector was a unique experience and one that I feel very privileged to have experienced.

What are some of the key learnings you took away from the trip?

I was totally unaware that there appears to be a keen desire for reunification. I was fascinated by the government policies, especially in education and transport, which have been created with reunification in mind. This positive forward-thinking mindset was impressive.

How do you plan to incorporate what you learnt into your teaching?

I have written a unit that examines the causes and consequences of the Korean War. I plan to use this initially with a Year 10 class to iron out any issues and make necessary improvements before potentially implementing it at NCEA.

Why do you think trips like these are important/useful?

Trips like this are so incredibly valuable. Making connections with other teachers and discussing issues in education proved to be very useful. Travelling to any country provides new learning but the experiences on the Korean Studies Workshop were ones most tourists would probably not get exposed to. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of this trip and am so very grateful for the opportunity.

Claire Begovic  is a Junior Humanities and History teacher and Year 13 Academic Dean at Saint Peter’s College in Auckland

About the Korea Studies Workshop

The aim of the Korean Studies Workshop programme is to:

• explore intercultural issues within the context of one of the world’s fastest emerging social, cultural and economic powerhouses
• forge specific links with individuals and organisations in Australia, New Zealand and South Korea that can support ongoing work in this area
• establish a cohort of Australian and New Zealand educators with recent off-shore intercultural experiences that can lead work in this area.

Find out more

• Find out more about the Foundation’s education programme
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9 April 2018

Education

South Korea

How Asia and the Pacific interact will define New Zealand’s foreign policy for the foreseeable future, writes Auckland journalist Mackenzie Smith after spending two months in Jakarta.Mackenzie Smith was in Jakarta on the Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesia Studies Journalism Professional Practicum. His participation was funded by the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s media programme. In Indonesia, I expected to broaden my understanding and realisation of Asia and its importance to New Zealand. And in a way I did. But more than anything, the experience reinforced for me why engaging with and respecting the Pacific is paramount for New Zealand.My first week at AFP’s Jakarta bureau coincided, tragically, with the deaths of as many as 100 people, mostly toddlers, in Papua from a measles outbreak. The crisis, sparked by poor conditions and increasing local reliance on imported foods, represented “decades of neglect” by Indonesia following its annexation of the region.AFP committed significant resources to covering this, including sending a team of reporters to a remote Papuan village. Along with assistance from us folks that manned the fort in Jakarta, they produced what I believe was the definitive coverage of that health crisis. It was genuinely humbling to be a part of. Papua, after all, has faced decades of neglect from the international media too, New Zealand included.While RNZ Pacific does a fantastic job, it is not enough and, as pointed out by some, it is too partisan at times. Diversity is needed when we cover events of international significance. Yet Papua is of particular and unique significance to New Zealand. Having played a key role in the decolonisation of the Pacific, if we cannot continue this, including by acknowledging Papua as a Pacific and Melanesian nation, then surely we are siding with our colonial past (and present).New Zealand’s foreign policy is changing dramatically, and not just under the direction of a new government in place. As recent speeches by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have indicated, policy shifts towards the Pacific are motivated at least partly by the increasing sway Asia has there. And although veiled references to China were highlighted by analysts, its long arm is not the only one in play in the Pacific.There is a need now to be more savvy than ever towards Asia, if only for the sake of the Pacific. And for all the importance of politics in setting the pace of national dialogue, journalists too play a significant role. The New Zealand media’s restraint, for example, in covering revelations of China’s political influence activities from Anne-Marie Brady has been remarkable. Just look at Australia, they are going nuts over there.The media certainly prodded officials during the government’s recent Pacific tour over China’s growing influence there but it was a long way from the “roads to nowhere” white elephant rhetoric coming from across the ditch. There is hope for how we cover the Asia-Pacific and for the voices we give air to.So it feels like a good time to arrive back as an “Asia-savvy” journalist – savviness being a term I share the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s fondness for – but an even better time to be a Pacific-savvy journalist. While both regions demand our attention, one neighbours us and one we sit in. How the two interact will define New Zealand’s foreign policy mandate for the foreseeable future.There was no happy resolution to Papua’s health crisis; it merely petered out, media coverage in its final days giving way to the detainment of a rather foolhardy journalist who had set out to cover it, rather than the real issues at hand.And, as observers told AFP, the deaths are doomed to be repeated unless drastic action is taken. The day before Indonesia declared the crisis over, in an unrelated incident a 61-year-old woman was shot dead by military police in Papua. As the Foundation’s Pip McLachlan has pointed out, “we need to talk about Asia”. But we also need to talk about the Pacific.Views expressed are personal to the author.This article was first published on the Asia Media CentreFind out more

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22 March 2018

Media

Indonesia

Plenty of brides and grooms probably wish they could tell some of their wedding guests how to behave on their special day. Leadership Network member Bradley Scott had no qualms about doing just that.

At the end of January Bradley tied the knot with partner Nirupa George at a ceremony at the Shri Swaminarayan temple in Avondale, Auckland.

In the lead-up to the special occasion, Bradley shared a series of “Tips from the white guy”, basically a bit of guidance on wedding etiquette for his non-Sri Lankan guests.

Nirupa fled the Sri Lankan Civil War, arriving in New Zealand as a ten-year-old. As a nod to her heritage, the couple decided to have a Tamil as well as a Western wedding ceremony.

Since his engagement to Nirupa, Bradley had attended a few Tamil weddings. For a newbie, the experience can be overwhelming, he says.

“There’s 300, 400, 500 people all who knew what was going on. And then there was me.

“It’s just kind of really chaotic – what’s going on and where am I supposed to be?”

He provided guidance on suitable wedding attire: “I’ve received a request for #tipsfromthewhiteguy about Tamil wedding fashion. This one can be as elaborate or as simple as you want to make it.

“The same style of attire as you’d wear to a western style wedding is a-ok. And, probably the default option for most of you. On the other end of the spectrum would be going all out, with a sari for gals and a verti and shirt for the gents.”

Bradley also clued guests up on logistics: “At the end of the ceremony, half of the room will be invited up on stage to bless Nirupa and I, and half will go to the dining hall for dinner. In either case, expect a queue. But once you’re on stage and at the front – the blessing is done by sprinkling rice on our head, then shoulders, and then knees. Just remember the nursery rhyme, but without the toes part. Or, simply copy the thing the 100 or so people before you have done.”

The goal was to pre-equip guests with a basic cultural competency, he says.

“I wanted them to have fun and just be a part of it and not have to stress about those things.”

It’s been a massive month for Bradley.

Alongside juggling two wedding ceremonies, he’s managed to buy his first house and start a new job.

He’s chief operating officer at FaceMe, a Kiwi company creating Artificial Intelligence “employees”.

A team of around 30 people work for the Auckland-based company, and Bradley heads the crew charged with building the systems.

Imagine, he says, being able to walk into a bank and bypassing the queue to have your enquiry dealt with by a digital human.

“At the moment we have one at Auckland Airport in Biosecurity. They deflect questions from humans, allowing them more time for complex things or giving better service.”

Find out more

• Find out more about the Foundation’s Leadership Network
• Read more stories from our Leadership Network

20 March 2018

Leadership Network

Sri Lanka

Asia New Zealand Foundation senior adviser (research) James To describes the recent Mekong Track II dialogue the Foundation recently convened in Khon Kaen, Thailand.

Why would a small country tucked away in a remote corner of the South Pacific have an interest in a region 10,000 kilometres away in Asia?

That’s exactly what 20 experts, academics and commentators were thinking when a delegation five Kiwis turned up at the Mekong Institute in Khon Kaen, Thailand in early March.

The Asia New Zealand Foundation, with support from our Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, had helped convene this roundtable dialogue that examined and discussed political, economic, social, and environmental issues in a region that is set to become a hotspot of contention over coming years.

The talks couldn’t have been held without support from one of the Foundation’s Asia Honorary Advisers, Dr Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

Dr Thitinan is the chair of the Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS) Thailand, and he spent no shortage of energy and effort drawing together a cohort of his colleagues from Mekong countries – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam (or CLMTV for short) – as well as experts from China.

Several of our guests declared that they were only there because Dr Thitinan had personally asked them to join us at the table – testament to the high regard the international community holds him in.

The Asia delegates told us they were seeking engagement with more partners, and New Zealand’s standing as a role model of open and transparent governance set a good impression for them. They added, if it were any other country, they wouldn’t have come along.

However, the question still remained – what were we doing here? And why in Khon Kaen?  After all, there’s only one or two flights in and out of the airport each day, so it’s not exactly the most convenient place to hold a regional dialogue.

So we explained the history of New Zealand’s relationship with ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations), and why the Mekong Institute was the venue for our talks.

As you walk into the Institute, you can’t help but notice the huge signage on one side of the main corridor – the “James Bolger Conference Room”. Yes, we’ve had skin in the game for a long time now. Bolger was Prime Minister when the Mekong Institute was established back in 1994, and our official relations with ASEAN extend beyond that – back over 40 years, and with Thailand some 60 years.

And over that time, most of New Zealand’s value proposition to the Mekong focused on rural development, but this is becoming increasingly irrelevant. While countries in the region are developing at different rates and some still look to us for rural development aid, the likes of Thailand and Vietnam are now at the heart of the world’s economic growth engine.

This transition from agri-tech and capacity building to intra-regional investment and integration of value/supply chains means we need to re-define what we can contribute towards this profound transformation. So this dialogue was all about an old friend listening and learning about how we could refresh our offerings.

The next morning when we began our talks I noticed everyone else surveying the diverse representation around the meeting room. It was then that the penny really dropped about why we were there: the sheer convening power of the dialogue – bringing together different groups of people who otherwise wouldn’t usually sit around the same table.

It was the opportunity to really talk to each other about mutual interests and concerns. There were blunt messages exchanged, and clarifications on positioning made.

We made some suggestions about our experience with our Pacific neighbours, and how some of those frameworks could be adapted for our Southeast Asian friends; discussed the environmental concerns of the downstream countries that were at the top of everyone’s minds; and how Mekong countries were being pushed and pulled in different directions by both internal and external factors. All of this was conducted in a free and frank environment.

Ideas were floated and picked up or not without fear of causing offense or embarrassment. That’s the most critical part of Track II diplomacy – building upon long-term trust and friendships with our stakeholders so that we can openly engage with them when it comes to important international issues and challenges, and that speaks to the value of relationships.

Our event in Kohn Kaen was just one small step in a long incremental process of thickening the strands between Asia and New Zealand – and given the outcomes from last weekend, it’s certainly not the last.

James To has an academic background in Asian languages (Mandarin, Cantonese, and Japanese), political science, and commerce. He has lectured in Northeast Asian foreign policy, and is an active researcher of the overseas Chinese diaspora.

Find out more

• Find out about the Foundation’s Track II programme
• Read more stories from our Track II programme

16 March 2018

Track II

Asia region

The Asia New Zealand Foundation offers up-to five young New Zealand tech entrepreneurs and business leaders the chance to visit Philippines.

The week-long programme will give participants a better understanding of the tech sector in Philippines and Southeast Asia and allow participants to attend Techtonic 2018.

Applications close 23 April 2018.

About the trip

Dates: 18-25 June 2018

This opportunity is part of the ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative (YBLI), a key part of the New Zealand Government’s ASEAN strategy.

The aim of the programme is to facilitate trade and build connections between business leaders and entrepreneurs in New Zealand and Southeast Asia. This is achieved through short targeted visits to New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

As of March 2017, 80 business leaders and entrepreneurs from all 10 ASEAN countries have visited New Zealand and 31 business leaders and entrepreneurs from New Zealand have travelled to Southeast Asia. This is the seventh group of ‘Kiwi’ YBLIs.

Successful applicants will meet Filipino entrepreneurs in the tech sector, develop a greater knowledge of the Filipino business environment, and explore ways to collaborate with entrepreneurs from the Philippines.

During the trip you will:

• learn about the Philippines tech sector
• meet and network with entrepreneurs  
• explore business opportunities 
• take time to understand the culture of the Philippines and to connect with your group members
• attend Techtonic 2018.

The Foundation will work with the New Zealand Embassy and the New Zealand Trade Commission in Manila to deliver the programme.

Who can apply?

Applicants must be:

• aged under 40
• an entrepreneur or business leader at CEO or senior management level in a New Zealand tech business
• Outstanding start-up entrepreneurs or emerging entrepreneurs will also be considered. No knowledge or experience of the Philippines is expected. 

Applicants must:

• have New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, but can be based offshore
• be interested in connecting with equivalents from other countries and exploring international business opportunities
• be confident public speakers willing to engage in dialogue with entrepreneurs from other countries
• be willing to contribute to the Foundation’s Leadership Network and entrepreneurship programmes.

How to apply

Applicants will need to provide:

• a letter indicating your interest in this opportunity, outlining why you would like to interact with entrepreneurs in the Philippines and where you see the potential to collaborate
• a curriculum vitae
• a letter of support from your company if you are a senior manager or emerging leader (ie not the CEO).

Please send your application to Adam McConnochie: amcconnochie@asianz.org.nz

Costs

The Asia New Zealand Foundation will fund the costs of successful applicants, including a return economy airfare, domestic transport, accommodation as well as most meals and miscellaneous expenses. Participants will need to cover their own spending money and insurance costs.

Selection process

Applications will be assessed by the Asia New Zealand Foundation staff in consultation with external experts, and the New Zealand Embassy in Manila.

Questions?

Email: amcconnochie@asianz.org.nz.

Business

Philippines