The countries of Asia are important to New Zealand. In the future they will become even more so. Asia New Zealand Foundation’s ongoing challenge is to build New Zealanders’ knowledge and understanding of the region to reflect this reality.
New Zealand is looking more and more to Asia and New Zealanders are increasingly viewing Asia as the most significant region to this country’s future. Our connections with the countries of Asia are deepening and diversifying and the Foundation has a crucial role to play to ensure New Zealanders continue to interact with the peoples of Asia with confidence and sophistication.
In the 2008/09 year the team at Asia:NZ continued to work tirelessly to raise awareness of Asia in New Zealand. It is a credit to their dedication and hard work that we are achieving a stronger Asian dimension in New Zealand and that New Zealanders’ perceptions of Asia are changing.