Suzannah Jessep's August 2025 Update
Kia ora Foundation readers – nice to have you back! Thanks for tuning in to this monthly update outlining some of the key activities the Foundation has been engaged in over the past month and what’s on the horizon for the weeks ahead.
The Foundation brought together 120 entrepreneurs from Southeast Asia and New Zealand for the Viet Nam Summit
There’s much to report back on, but a real highlight—in terms of scale and ambition—was the entrepreneurship summit we hosted across two cities in Viet Nam, bringing together 120 entrepreneurs from Southeast Asia and New Zealand to connect, collaborate and spark new business ventures.
Held in Da Nang and Hue, the summit was part of the ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative (or ‘YBLI’), which connects up-and-coming entrepreneurs and provides opportunities for them to learn from each other’s experiences. The Foundation delivers the YBLI programme on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as an important part of the Government’s ASEAN strategy.
2025 marks some major milestones in New Zealand’s ties with Southeast Asia: 50 years of formal relations with ASEAN and with Viet Nam, and 60 years with Singapore. It was a pleasure to join Heads of Embassies and High Commissions to celebrate these anniversaries and to know the Foundation’s work is making a positive contribution.
New Zealand’s relationships with the countries of Southeast Asia are among our strongest in the region and continue to develop in terms of importance. The regional bloc, known as ASEAN, accounts for $26 billion in trade per annum (as of June 2024) and is equivalent to our fourth-largest trading partner. For our entrepreneurs, the region provides an exciting place to explore, particularly with its youthful populations and fast-paced urban centres.
The young entrepreneurs who attended the Viet Nam summit are at the forefront of this relationship. Some are already leading successful ventures and collaborations, while others are getting ready to launch into the region.
As is often the case with such events, much of the magic happens outside the formal programme, over shared meals or casual chats on the bus. Participants shared their experiences across social media channels, but you can also read more about it here.
New Zealand band rocks Seoul
In an exciting collaboration between the Foundation, South Korea’s leading media house, CJ Cultural Foundation, and Big Fan studios (Auckland), Christchurch band There’s a Tuesday winged their way to South Korea this month for ten days of recording, performing, networking and immersing themselves in the local music scene.
There's a Tuesday performing in Seoul
It was an opportunity of a lifetime for the Kiwi band. During their visit they attended the Pentaport Rock Festival in Incheon, recorded an original track at CJ Cultural Foundation’s CJ Azit recording studios and opened for indie act jisokuryClub at the Tune Up Meets Fresh Finds concert in Seoul, a collaboration between CJ Cultural Foundation and Spotify.
The Foundation also facilitated journalist and videographer Samantha Cheong to travel with the band to South Korea to document their adventures. Her written and video stories will be published on the Foundation’s website as well as across various national outlets over the coming weeks – so do stay tuned.
I’d like to offer a special thanks to our Adviser, Heekyung Jo Min, who was instrumental in seeing this initiative become a reality. Jo Min is the executive vice president and head of corporate social responsibility at CJ Cultural Foundation’s parent company, CJ CheilJedang. She has been a wonderful advocate for the Foundation, supporting internships and other programmes for New Zealanders in South Korea.
Track II dialogues delve into regional concerns
In July, we welcomed leading experts from the Asan Institute in South Korea for our 12th Track II dialogue. The Asan Institute is one of our longest-running institutional partners and it was wonderful to take them to Christchurch for the first time to showcase the city’s newest developments and gateway to Antarctica.
Professor Nicholas Khoo (University of Otago), Professor Alex Tan (University of Canterbury), Stephen Epstein (Victoria University of Wellington) and our senior fellow Raf Manji joined discussions alongside me, Dr Julia McDonald and Dr James To. My thanks also to Hon Philip Burdon, Hon Lianne Dalziel CNZM and career diplomat Alison Mann for supporting the delegation’s visit.
Former ambassador to Yangon, Steve Marshall, discussed the civil war in Myanmar and what New Zealand can do to support the peace process
In Wellington, we were delighted to host Steve Marshall, New Zealand’s leading expert on Myanmar and former New Zealand Ambassador to Yangon. With the civil war still raging four years on, it was timely to shine a light on developments and how external actors – including New Zealand – can help support a sustainable peace process. We are grateful to Steve for being so willing to share his time and insights with us.
In Auckland, we brought together 25 senior stakeholders for a Chatham House roundtable with the head of KPMG Viet Nam, and Foundation Honorary Adviser, Warrick Cleine. Warrick offered his candid assessment of how President Trump’s tariffs and US-China competition are impacting Southeast Asia, and the changes he sees coming for New Zealand businesses operating in the region. In short: lots of competition!
Auckland Asia After Five delves into Perceptions of Asia research
Earlier in the month, we hosted our third and final Asia After Five event exploring this year’s Perceptions of Asia findings. It was fantastic to see so many people join us in Auckland to learn about our research and share their own perspectives. The Perceptions of Asia research is the Foundation’s flagship study, providing insights that shape much of our work, and helping decision-makers better understand how New Zealanders view the region and its member countries. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, this link will take you to the webpage.
Upcoming activities
Our next Asia After Five will be on September 25 in Wellington. We’re still finalising the details, but the topic of the evening will be Taiwan. We’ll promote the event in next month’s newsletter. Remember, these are free events, open to the public and are a great way of growing your familiarity with Asia and networking with others.
Finally, a quick note about a couple of upcoming activities: Chinese Language Week kicks off on 31 August. As I wrote in my newsroom article from last month, AI might make translation easier, but it can’t replace the connection that comes from speaking to someone in their own language — a gesture of respect that speaks louder than words.
Some people love winter, but not me. I am looking forward to the sun returning and the cold wind easing off. I will have a short reprieve next month in Laos and Thailand, where I will be leading a delegation for our next Mekong Dialogue and participating in a forum on geopolitics and our changing regional order. I’m thrilled to be joined by a stellar delegation who will help carry the conversation and add valuable expertise. I look forward to sharing more in my next update, in September.
Ngā mihi nui,
Suzannah Jessep
