China and India conference at Victoria University

I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Māori, Cook Island Māori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.   Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the morning (Sign).

I then specifically greet you: Professor Pat Walsh, Vice-Chancellor at the Victoria Univeristy of Wellington  and your colleague Professor Neil Quigley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research); Professor Ian Town, Deputy  Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Canterbury ; Guest speakers, most notably the keynote speakers Professor Pranab Bardhan of the University of California at Berkeley, and Professor Wing Thye Woo of the University of California at Davis; Professor Xiaoming Huang, Director of the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre, and Professor Sekhar Bandyopadhyay, the co-chairs of the Conference organising committee; Members of the Diplomatic  Corps;  Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen.   And in the context of this conference may I add the greetings: Ni Hao and Namaste.

As Governor-General of New Zealand I would also like, at the outset, to take an opportunity to welcome all those visiting our country.  I trust that you may also have the opportunity to see and experience a little more of what New Zealand has to offer while you are here.

Thank you for inviting me to attend the opening of this major conference.   I have been asked to formally open the proceedings, and just before I do I would like to offer some thoughts on the development of China and India and in particular on New Zealand's relationship with these two nations.

Since being appointed as Governor-General nearly four years ago, I have been privileged to gauge at first hand the significant development of both China and India, and our country's connections with both of them.

In August 2008, on behalf of our Government and as Patron of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, was present with the New Zealand athletes when they were welcomed at the Beijing Olympics and was received in that regard by the President of China, Hu Jintao.  I also participated in the signing of a sister-city agreement between North Shore and Qingdao cities, the latter being the Olympic yachting venue.   The facilities created for those games were an amazing spectacle to behold, particularly in Beijing.

A short time later in September of that year, I made the first state visit by a New Zealand Governor-General to India, travelling to New Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.  As well as meeting the President, Srimati Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, and number of other ministers and officials, it was also an opportunity to advance New Zealand's endeavours in business and tourism in India.

Having visited both China and India on a number of occasions before taking up this role in August 2006, it was immediately apparent how rapidly both nations have developed in the modern era. 

My appreciation of growth and development was additionally provided by knowledge and garnered as a member of the governance boards of the Asia New Zealand Foundation and the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs.

Even more recently, I have also had the pleasure of opening the New Zealand South Asian Centre at the University of Canterbury in March last year and New Zealand Asian Studies Society Conference here at Victoria University of Wellington a few months later.

The recent and rapid advances of both India and China, and the concomitant economic, political and military influence they wield increasingly in regional and international affairs, has been the subject of much discussion in academic, political and diplomatic circles.   

Wider interest in the subject has seen the burgeoning publication of books on the two nations and their relationship and from many different perspectives.  Placing the words "China" and "India" together into an online book retailer's search engine can result instantaneously in more than 3000 titles to ponder  on subjects as diverse as geo-politics, business, religion and education to name just a few.

Much of this recent focus sometimes suggests that the position these two nations hold is an aberration or is somehow unusual.   However, with the exception of the period marked by rise of the Western powers in the 19th century, they have historically always been significant players in regional affairs.  China and India represent two of the world's oldest civilisations.  Those civilisations have been sufficiently strong and resilient enough to not only survive, but also prosper and evolve for thousands of years. 

However, what has set this latest growth and development apart from the past has been the speed with which it has occurred.  Underpinned by the enormous human capital that comes from accounting for about one fifth of the world's population, China and India have continued to grow while many other nations have been affected by the fallout from the global financial crisis.  The point was well made by the Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during his visit to Beijing in 2008 when he said: "We are at an exciting point in history when the centre of gravity of the world economy is moving towards Asia."

As the agenda of this conference makes clear, rapid growth brings with it both opportunities and challenges.  Those challenges include managing growth without undue environmental degradation and the changes wrought when new wealth meets older cultural and social structures and traditions.  I look forward to reading the papers generated as a result of your discussions over the next two days.

The growth of two Asian titans, and the geopolitical shift thus created, has not been lost on the New Zealand Government.   Historically, New Zealand has maintained many lines of trade as well as a longstanding aid programme in Asia that has assisted many nations in the region to build stronger economies.  New Zealand has undertaken a number of high-level ministerial visits to China and there are plans for similar visits to India. 

But for New Zealand, India and China are seen as key components in the continent's rapidly changing economic and trade landscape.   As a small nation whose livelihood is dependent on international trade, understanding and embracing these developments is vital to New Zealand's interests and future prosperity. 

New Zealand was the first western nation to sign a free trade agreement with China in April 2008 and in January this year , the New Zealand and Indian Governments announced the start of negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement.  Indeed, the first round of negotiations has just been held, just finishing on 7 April.

The agreement with China has already resulted in a significant increase in trade.  For example, the Minister of Trade, Hon Tim Groser noted in October 2009 that despite a depressed global economy, two-way trade between New Zealand and China in the first year of the agreement increased by 23 per cent to just over $10 billion.    Likewise, Statistics New Zealand recently noted that China overtook the United States as New Zealand's second-largest export market in February due to increased demand for milk powder, wood and wool.

It seems likely an agreement with India will offer significant future opportunities. Even without a free trade agreement, the relationship between India and New Zealand has evolved significantly in the period since the State Visit some 20 months ago.  I am advised that two-way trade between India and New Zealand reached NZ$1 billion for the first time in the year ended August 2009.  Tourism and educational links are growing and new science and military links have been established.   Significant as these advances are, they still pale alongside the larger trade figures between New Zealand and China.

These dual relationships, with China and with India, are underpinned by a host of people-to-people links.  There have been people from either China or India living in New Zealand since our nation's earliest days as a modern nation.  The 2006 Census recorded more than 250,000 New Zealanders of Chinese or Indian descent,  accounting for more than 70 percent of New Zealanders with Asian ancestry.    But more than in numbers, they have made a significant contribution to New Zealand, in the professions, academia, politics and business.  For example, five of New Zealand's members of Parliament hail from either India or China, and one is a Cabinet Minister.

Those connections have not all been one way.  People of the past such as Sir Edmund Hillary and Rewi Alley, have been matched in later times by David Mahon and John Wright  to symbolise New Zealand's connections with India and China in a linear fashion.    More recently, many Chinese and Indian students have, and continue, to study at New Zealand universities, returning home not only with well regarded qualifications, but also with fond memories of their time here.   With regard to China, those linkages were brought home to me when I met some of those alumni at a KEA function at the Ambassador's residence in Beijing.  It was estimated then that some 300,000 Chinese residents have studied in New Zealand and I cannot help but think that those connections did not play a role in strengthening bilateral relations.

In conclusion, the rapid rise of China and India, provides challenges and opportunities for each nation, and their relationship to each other, and also for New Zealand.    A few years ago, the Indian media commentator, Dr Sanjaya Baru, famously described India and New Zealand as the "bookends of Asia."    While the bookends have moved closer together, in a wider sense, I wonder if it might now be more appropriate to see China, India and New Zealand forming a triangle, one that stretches from the Indian Ocean to the South Pacific and the North Pacific.  

With these relationships continuing to evolve this conference is therefore highly topical and timely.  I therefore wish to congratulate the New Zealand Contemporary China Research Centre along with its partners at the Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Canterbury for organising this conference. 

It therefore gives me great pleasure to declare this conference open and on that note, I will close in New Zealand's first language Māori, offering everyone greetings and wishing you all good health and fortitude in your endeavours.     No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.