Asia New Zealand Foundation (Asia:NZ) Business programme is now available on the Action Asia Business website. An initiative of Asia:NZ the Action Asia website provides a focal point for companies and business organisations interested in Asian relationships.

Businesses can use this resource base to capitalise on onshore and offshore economic opportunities presented by the changing global influence of Asia.

What's New

The Action Asia Business networking forum on Japan, the first of a series of planned events of this kind, took place in Auckland on 26 June. Read more about the event here.

Past events 

The inaugural Japan-New Zealand Partnership Forum, 'New Thinking, New Partnership', took place in Tokyo on 14 and 15 May 2008. The event was organised by the New Zealand International Business Forum with the support of the Japan New Zealand Business Council, Nippon Keidanren, the Japan Chamber of Commerce and the New Zealand Embassy in Tokyo. It was co-chaired by the Chairman and CEO of Orix Corporation, Mr Yoshihiko Miyauchi, and the Chairman of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, Hon Philip Burdon.

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the bilateral Agreement on Commerce which opened the way to the modern trade and economic relationship between Japan and New Zealand. Japan today is New Zealand's third largest export destination and fourth largest trading partner overall. The two-way trade in the year to December 2007 amounted to $7.3 billion.

The forum was attended by 93 government, business and community leaders from both Japan and New Zealand. Business was the main focus, as the forum welcomed the decision of the Prime Ministers of Japan and New Zealand to study the possibility of an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), to further strengthen economic and other ties between Japan and New Zealand.

An important role for government and business working together is to make Japanese industry more aware of New Zealand capabilities and to encourage New Zealanders to think of Japan as a business partner. Issues of sustainability and climate change were also discussed.

Support was expressed for the Japanese initiative to create a Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia as well as for closer trade and economic ties between Japan and New Zealand.

The full text of Prime Minister Helen Clark's speech is available here.

A commentary from Philip Burdon, Asia New Zealand Foundation Chair, is available here.

A concluding statement from the Forum's Co-Chairs is available here.

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