Suzannah Jessep's August 2026 CE Update
Kia ora koutou. August has been a busy month, with a fantastically eclectic mix of artists, economists, business leaders, foreign policy thinkers and parliamentarians connecting with the Foundation. Over the month, I’ve gone from contemporary Chinese art and the Chinese economy to Indian foreign policy and coffee growing in the Philippines; from meeting Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to connecting with the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee and presenting our research to MPs. What a great month!
The Foundation supported contemporary arts curator Yang Zi (left) to visit New Zealand to connect with local arts practitioners
It was a pleasure to support the visit of Yang Zi, one of China’s leading contemporary arts curators who connected with local arts practitioners and spoke at events in Auckland and Wellington this month. His visit built on a fantastic contemporary Chinese art exhibition held at Auckland Art Gallery titled Forever Tomorrow: Chinese Art Now.
I managed to get along to the gallery with our director of arts, Craig Cooper, to see the exhibition, and also had the chance to sit down with Yang Zi.
We talked about life in China, life as an artist and the more practical question of how contemporary artists get their work in front of audiences when the content is invariably challenging or questioning.
From art to economics: We hosted Professor Yasheng Huang, professor of Global Economics and Management at MIT Sloan School of Management, for a Wellington roundtable with senior academics and experts from business, foreign policy and trade.
Professor Huang is one of those experts whose analysis is so deep and clear that we all came away with a new perspective on the Chinese economy and some of the structural challenges it is facing. At the same time, Professor Huang was upbeat about the NZ-China trade relationship, in part because the goods we sell are uncomplicated and are consumables that the Chinese people want and trust.
Dhruva Jaishankar speaking at an event about the India-New Zealand relationship
Earlier in the month, we welcomed our 2026 Senior Fellow, Dhruva Jaishankar, to New Zealand. Dhruva packed a huge number of meetings and events into his week, connecting with MPs, academics, senior business and foreign policy figures and the media.
One of Dhruva’s observations that stayed with me was the need for greater business literacy on both sides. It is one thing to say there are opportunities in India; it is another for a New Zealand business to understand how to find the right partner and navigate the market.
He highlighted the value of education, sport and the creative industries to bring people together and foster a culture of learning and exchange.
Read Dhruva Jaishankar's Asia in Focus article Raising ambition in the India-New Zealand partnership
Business Perspectives
We also had some excellent business voices from Asia in New Zealand this month.
Zhen Wu, Vice President, International Business Development China at Magna, spoke at the Sustainable Brands Ōtautahi conference and joined us for a fireside chat with the Auckland Business Chamber.
Her perspective on the changing role of brands in China was particularly interesting for New Zealand businesses thinking about entering the Chinese market and about how quickly assumptions around that market can change.
Philippines sustainable agriculture and coffee company CEO, Ariestelo Asilo, speaking at the ASEAN Business Forum in Auckland this month
I was also very pleased to catch up with one of our ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative (YBLI) alumnus, Ariestelo Asilo, from the Philippines. Telo, as he likes to be called, is CEO and founder of Varacco, a successful coffee and sustainable agriculture company.
At the ASEAN Forum in late August, Ariestelo talked about his entrepreneurial journey, what drives him, and the importance of integrity and trust in his business dealings – forging connections much like family.
Later, at another event, he shared some of the lessons he has picked up building a business in the Southeast Asia region. It turns out there is rather more to building a coffee business in Southeast Asia than simply finding good beans and getting soil with the right PH balance!
If you're in Wellington on 1 September, you can hear from Ariestelo about the global systems shaping the coffee industry at an event at Creative HQ.
Thinking Asia across NZ universities
A Foundation-led NextGen masterclass at Otago University's Otago Foreign Policy School event in June
We have also had a lot happening across New Zealand’s university campuses, with masterclasses delivered by our manager of track II diplomacy, Dr James To.
This month, James brought together students in Auckland, Waikato, Wellington and Palmerston North for roundtable discussions on the issues impacting our region.
Our arts, business and YBLI programmes have also announced offshore delegations, and selection for our 2026/27 interns and Leadership Network members is nearing completion.
NZ-Thailand and NZ-Viet Nam Relations Celebrated
August also marked visits by Viet Nam’s General Secretary and President, To Lam, and Thailand’s Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul. If you’re interested, I spoke to Anna Fifield on The Detail about the visits and why they matter.
Prime Minister Anutin’s visit provided a nice full-circle moment for the Foundation. We first met Anutin in 2018, when he visited the Foundation as leader of Bhumjaithai, one of Thailand’s major political parties.
He spoke with our Asia Media Centre as part of an MFAT-supported programme designed to build understanding of New Zealand among influential voices in Thailand. Eight years later, he was back in New Zealand as prime minister, this time to formalise the New Zealand–Thailand Strategic Partnership.
I had the chance to catch up with him at the state lunch in Auckland. It was a lovely moment and one of those important reminders that people you meet in one context can turn up again years later in a very different one and how important those early connections are.
Kia pai tō rā,
Suz
