Honorary advisers important for New Zealand-Asia relations
Ten Asia:NZ honorary advisers visited Auckland and Wellington in November 2010 for a series of meetings with Asia:NZ trustees and senior government, business and academic representatives. Their visit included talks with Prime Minister John Key, Foreign Minister Murray McCully and other Cabinet ministers at Parliament.
Asia:NZ draws on a network of 16 honorary advisers who are prestigious public figures from across Asia and are a crucial asset for the foundation in its mission to strengthen and facilitate links between New Zealand and Asian countries.
Photo: Asia:NZ honorary advisers meet Prime Minister John Key at Premier House.
“Our honorary advisers represent spectacularly well-connected talent in their home countries, and it is to New Zealand’s advantage and privilege that they are committed to advocating for New Zealand in a region that is becoming a strategic priority,” says Asia:NZ chairman Hon Philip Burdon.
Ten of Asia:NZ’s 17 advisers will be in New Zealand on this occasion. They are distinguished political leaders and businessmen from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam who have a deep affiliation with New Zealand, and provide important connections and advice to Asia:NZ as it seeks to enhance New Zealand’s engagement with Asia through its various programmes.
The honorary advisers’ busy three-day programme included networking with Asia:NZ stakeholders, university and business roundtables, and a variety of media appearances. The guests were also hosted at formal dinners by the Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand in Auckland, and by Prime Minister John Key in Wellington.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi (pictured with Prime Minister John Key), was part of the visiting group in his capacity as honorary adviser from Thailand. Dr Panitchpakdi will speak on Asia’s changing economic balance of power at a roundtable with Victoria University postgraduate students in Wellington.
Mme Li Xiaolin of China and Mr Stanley Tan of Singapore attended the launch of the Asia:NZ Outlook 14 research report in Auckland. Mr Tan has provided crucial support in establishing the Asia:NZ Singapore Scholarships. In Wellington he met a group of previous scholarship holders and members of the Young Leaders Network.
This was the first visit to New Zealand of Mme Ton Nu Thi Ninh of Vietnam in her capacity as Asia:NZ honorary adviser. President of the founding committee of Tri Viet International University, Mme Ninh attended a meeting with Victoria University Vice Chancellor Pat Walsh and Vietnamese students in Wellington.
Photo: Asia:NZ honorary advisers hosted by Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand at Government House in Auckland
At their previous meeting in Singapore in 2009, the honorary advisers discussed the changing demographics of New Zealand, with the 2006 census revealing that 10 percent of all New Zealanders are now of Asian ethnicities. The advisers thought that this was a plus for New Zealand and for the foundation as we build greater awareness of New Zealand in Asia.
For a full list of names of the 17 Asia:NZ honorary advisers, visit this page.