The latest New Zealanders’ Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples survey makes for encouraging reading. More New Zealanders are of the view that developing political, social and economic ties with Asia is important for New Zealand’s future (73 percent of respondents felt this way, up from 67 percent in 2019).
This finding is particularly significant when you consider that polling for this survey was carried out in October and November 2020, more than six months after New Zealand’s borders had been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and many of our international travel plans curtailed.