E rau rangatira mā, e huihui mai nei i tēnei wa, aku mihi nui ki a koutou.
- Former Governor General, Dame Sylvia Cartwright
- Former Governor General, Sir Anand Satyanand
- Lady Susan Satyanand
- Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Alfredo Perez Bravo
- Ambassadors, High Commissioners and other members of the Diplomatic Corps
- Members of Parliament, Mr Stuart Smith and Mr Greg O’Connor
- Former Commonwealth Secretary-General and Minister, Sir Don McKinnon
- Clare De Lore, Lady McKinnon
Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen;
Tēnā koutou katoa.
A very warm Government House welcome to you all.
I am delighted to host you this evening to celebrate 30 years of the Asia Forum and 50 years of dialogue relations between New Zealand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN.
I am very pleased to be the patron of the Asia Forum, and I know that a number of you here are Members. For 30 years, the Asia Forum has played an important role in bringing Asia and New Zealand closer together through numerous events and exchanges, be they diplomatic, academic, business or otherwise.
You provide a place to discuss issues like regional security, political developments, and regional trade and investment in a frank and open way. Most importantly, you support a network of people with shared interests and values, deepening their connections and lifting New Zealanders’ knowledge of Asia.
It’s well known that those of us with Māori or other Polynesian heritage share linguistic and ancestral links with Asia - or – at the very least, with indigenous people in Taiwan and some peoples of Southeast Asia.
That whakapapa was further reinforced for me in 2023 when I visited Asia, making official visits to Malaysia and South Korea. In both countries I fulfilled a number of official duties, but there were lighter moments too, where I was able to hone my singing skills. In Malaysia, I led the singing of Tutira Mai at a palace reception. In Korea, I joined in a Korean language version of Pōkarekare ana which we recorded at SM Entertainment, one of K-Pop’s ‘big 3’ record companies. Come to think of it, I think I’m yet to see a formal offer of a record deal from SM.
Given how important Asia is to New Zealand and to the world, it’s gratifying to see New Zealanders becoming more knowledgeable about Asia. The Asia New Zealand Foundation recently released its 28th survey report of New Zealanders’ perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples , which shows that New Zealanders continue to see Asia as critical to New Zealand’s future, second only to Australia in terms of importance. This is reflected in the increased proportion of us who view developing political ties, economic ties and social ties with Asia as important – up from 67 percent in 2019, to 81 percent today.
In Asia, our people-to-people links continue to underpin our relationships. And Asia continues to be a significant source of migrants, foreign students and tourists.
Tonight’s dinner is also an opportunity to celebrate 50 years of New Zealand-ASEAN dialogue relations. I know we have a number of esteemed government representatives of ASEAN Member States with us in the room tonight.
Your Excellencies, when New Zealand became ASEAN’s second dialogue partner in 1975, there were only five of you. ASEAN has since grown from five to 10, and soon, it will be eleven – with Timor Leste’s accession later this year. As ASEAN has grown, so has New Zealand’s relationship grown with ASEAN countries individually and with ASEAN as a grouping.
Our relationships with you are strengthened by the approximately 180,000 people in New Zealand who identify as Southeast Asian. Like Dr Farib Sos, Chair of the Asia Forum, they contribute to our communities in different ways, and will enrich New Zealand culturally and in any number of ways in the future.
I also know that ASEAN’s growth, after starting down the path of economic integration in the early 90s, has been truly remarkable. It is a story of economic success, and significant development progress. Millions of lives have been lifted out of poverty, with improved access to education and health.
The economic integration between ASEAN and New Zealand has gone from strength to strength: ASEAN is New Zealand’s fourth-largest trading partner, and is projected to become the world's fourth-largest economy by 2040. There is huge potential for increased business and investment between us, as we see Southeast Asia as integral to New Zealand’s economic prosperity and security.
I do wish to acknowledge all those who have experienced hardship, or worse, along the road to peace and prosperity in Southeast Asia. The region’s experience with conflict is a painful and familiar one. Yet, it’s often in the face of war and adversity that nations discover their greatest strengths.
ASEAN’s story has become one of improved regional prosperity, peace and stability. ASEAN centrality in decisions affecting the region plays a pivotal role. ASEAN has succeeded in bringing together countries of the Indo-Pacific in peaceful dialogue on important political, security and economic issues through regional fora such as the ASEAN Regional Forum and the East Asia Summit, which commemorates its 20th anniversary this year. New Zealand is proud to have been original participants in these important regional institutions.
I am aware that ASEAN Leaders will hold a Commemorative Summit with the New Zealand Prime Minister in Kuala Lumpur in October, to look back over the enduring 50 year partnership and consider what the future of that partneship should look like.
There is a Māori saying that aptly summarises New Zealand’s relationship with ASEAN – and more broadly – our relationship with Asia: Tītiro whakamuri, kōkiri whakamua, which translates as: Reflecting on our past, looking toward our future. Today we celebrate and acknowledge the friendships we have built over the past decades, and we also look forward to our continuing partnership in the decades ahead.
Thank you.