New report draws community, academia, and business sector to discuss New Zealand –Southeast Asia Perceptions

Director of Research and Engagement Julia Macdonald presenting the findings

Around 60 people gathered to hear the report's insights first-hand from the Foundation’s director of research, Dr Julia Macdonald, and an expert panel discussion with Professor David Capie, Associate Professor Jason Young and businessman Kenneth Leong into New Zealand’s ‘clean, green’ image and Southeast Asia’s hunger for trade.  

“This report is really valuable in terms of telling us where we’re strong in our relationships - what we have a good reputation for, like climate change and maritime security - but it also tells us where we need to do more work, where we need to build our understanding, like languages,” Dr Macdonald said. 

“For 28 years the Foundation has surveyed New Zealanders about their perspectives of Asia in the Perceptions of Asia survey,” she said. “But this new research flips the telescope around the other way.” 

“Bad news stories dominate our national and local media coverage in New Zealand,” Dr Macdonald noted during the presentation, “but it’s quite a different outlook when you look overseas.” 

Respondents were asked what stands out most about New Zealand’s reputation. The top answer was nature, environment and wildlife richness (22 percent), followed by high-quality education (21 percent) and agriculture expertise (17 percent). 

New research flips the telescope the other way

Panelist David Capie questioned whether New Zealand should be concerned that its international image is still so dominated by nature and landscapes - joking that the report’s cover photo, a woman standing atop Roy’s Peak in Wānaka, was reinforcing the stereotype. 

We’re not seen as the place you go for the hard business deals, he said. 

Leong agreed, noting that in his consumption of Southeast Asia media, New Zealand is commonly in tourism advertising and travel writing, and wondered if there was an opportunity for more research into whether this was shaping external perception. 

Dr Macdonald said the report findings also highlight a major opportunity for New Zealand to deepen its relationship with Indonesia. 

Only 47 percent of New Zealanders view Indonesia as a friend or close friend - but 86 percent of Indonesians say they feel that way about New Zealand. 

“We don’t know them, but they know us,” she said. 

Kenneth Leong: “be smarter and more willing to take risks”

The research found the biggest barriers to deepening these relationships are a lack of knowledge about each other and lack of languages, which Dr Macdonald said aligns with current attitudes in New Zealand, and with the decline of New Zealanders studying Asian languages or Asian Studies more broadly. 

Despite the challenges, the report shows New Zealand is “walking the walk” on the international stage, Dr Macdonald said, with Southeast Asian respondents viewing New Zealand positively and as a country that follows through on what it says it will do. 

Panelist Dr Jason Young said he found it “striking” to read how positively New Zealand is perceived - including the high level of trust that Southeast Asian respondents have in New Zealand to do what it says it will do. 

Panelist and former chair of ASEAN New Zealand Business Council Kenneth Leong drew on his experience doing business across Asia and was enthused to see in the report that the region had a strong appetite to do more trade.  

He would like to see New Zealand’s business sector “be smarter and more willing to take risks” in Southeast Asia and sees potential for more joint ventures with regional partners, especially with the rising wealth in Asia.  

“They are hungry - they just want to do trade. They are agnostic about who it is with. 

The Foundation's Research Programme publishes surveys, reports, and insights briefs relating to all aspects of New Zealand’s relationships with and interests in Asia. We also provide grants to emerging scholars with Asia-related research interests.