Asia Forum Meeting

Ladies and Gentlemen, I greet you in the languages of the realm of New Zealand - English, Maori, CookIsland, Niuean and Tokelauan.

Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni.

With some more specificity may I greet you: Asia Forum Chair, Farib Sos, your colleague Tim Beal likewise, Minister of Trade and Defence, Hon Phil Goff; Speaker of the House Hon Margaret Wilson; Parliamentarian Pansy Wong; Excellencies Ambassadors; Members of this law firm Bell Gully, especially Simon Watt and consultant Rt Hon Paul East; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for inviting Susan and I to this meeting of the Asia Forum. It is my first official engagement with the Asia Forum wearing the jersey as the Forum's Patron and as Governor-General.

It is not of course my first interaction with the Asia Forum itself. Indeed, in a number of various roles, I have become familiar with much of that which the Asia Forum has achieved since 1996 since my introduction to it by Douglas Day. I have had many enjoyable encounters seated around tables for Forum meetings and have heard many expositions of current political, military and trade issues.

With my background, New Zealand's relations with our country's Asian connections is something of considerable interest, both professionally and personally.

As an erstwhile Board Member of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, and an Asian New Zealander, I am attuned to the opportunities that closer cultural, social and economic ties with Asia present New Zealand.

Economically, a number of Asian nations are among our country's key trading partners. Trade with China, for example, is increasing at an astounding rate.

At a glance, between 1990 and 2004, bilateral trade with China grew exponentially - effectively doubling each year for those fourteen years. As a result, last year, China registered New Zealand's fourth largest export market.

That on any measure is evidence of extraordinary growth and demonstrates the scope of opportunity that exists between the two countries.

China is of course not the only important trading partner we have within Asia. We are seeing increasing investment from countries such as Japan - an export market worth NZ$3.3 billion in the year ending June 30 2006 - Singapore and Hong Kong likewise.

These three countries, Japan Singapore and Hong Kong, are among the top 10 sources of foreign direct investment in New Zealand.

Our economic ties with Asia are however only part of the equation. Economic ties have an important role in establishing connections between our countries which then pave the way for greater understanding and cooperation in other ways.

My present role provides a window to observe the blossoming of these relationships at many different levels. 

Two evenings ago, for example, I hosted a reception for the third International Conference of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, at which there was a significant Korean contingent.

The presence of those people reflected a strong scientific collaboration between Korean scientists and New Zealand's MacDiarmid Institute of Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology.

This underlined the idea that our opportunities to interact with Asian countries exist on a number of  levels.

Ever since New Zealand's early days of European settlement, Asian culture has played an important role in forming our national identity. We can trace this influence right back over one hundred years, to the first migration of Chinese to New Zealand.

Since then, many people from across Asia's diverse group, have chosen New Zealand as their home. In a few days time I will be launching a book in Pukekohe describing the contribution made to market gardening in that district by people of Indian origin.

Today, the tastes and colours of Asia are more evident in New Zealand than in the past. I would observe that New Zealand is entering a phase in which it embraces this cultural diversity more than ever before. One need only go to suburbs like Sandringham or Newtown and to markets in places like Avondale, and Otara and Porirua to see that.

That is only one symptom, but in totality New Zealand is becoming better equipped to harness the opportunities that closer economic, social and cultural ties with Asia can bring.

The work undertaken by the Asia Forum is to my mind, greatly and differently important, in both identifying and nurturing some of those opportunities - because the discourse involves diplomats, academics, business people,  government officials and people with an interest in public affairs.

I would like to offer a tribute to the Chairman, Farib Sos, for his inimitable work in leading this forum for the last 11 years. It is a remarkable event that you and Tim, and Douglas and Bruce and Terence manage to conjure such interesting  discussions.  I have sometimes harboured the thought, sitting round an Asian Forum table, that one of the less likely consequences of those people meeting in the Royal Institute of International Affairs in 1922 when the Chatham House Rule protecting anonymity and affiliation was first formulated in London SW1, was that a varied group 12 000 miles away in New Zealand led by a Cambodian New Zealander would on a monthly or so basis turn on discussions observing the Chatham House Rule  that has helped guide our country New Zealand towards a better understanding of our very important Asian neighbours.  The tribute also must also be conveyed to the law firm hosts like Bell Gully for literally bringing together town and gown and diplomat.

As the opportunities for New Zealand to interact with Asia evolve, so does the scope of the Asia Forum. This presents the Forum with a challenge to continue to find ways to extend this country's engagement and friendship with Asia. This year is Export Year with a number of initiatives regarding Asia and Asian trade and exchange.

I am one who feels confident that the Asia Forum will continue to achieve in the next eleven years, what it has so clearly achieved in the first. I look forward to observing and being a part of this Forum for many years to come.

No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora koutou katoa