Asia still important to New Zealanders

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Asia still important to New Zealanders

Local Asian cultural events and festivals, including Diwali and Lantern Festival, and the free trade agreement with China all had a positive influence on an increasing number of New Zealanders, says a new Asia New Zealand Foundation survey.

In the latest survey of New Zealanders' perceptions of Asia and Asian peoples, more than three-quarters of New Zealanders (77 percent) see the Asian region as important to New Zealand's future (38 percent see it as very important).

Consistent with previous annual surveys, New Zealanders rate the Asian region is rated as more important than Europe (66 percent), North America (56 percent), South Pacific (43 percent), South America (24 percent) and Africa (9 percent). Only Australia, with 86 percent, rates as being more important to New Zealand's future than Asia.

However, feelings of warmth toward people from Japan, India and China have decreased slightly since 2009. The average warmth rating toward people from all three countries was 70 in 2010, against 72 in 2009.

"Expert analysis shows that the perceptions may have been slanted by the media coverage of the Crafar farms by Chinese investors, Japanese whaling and the trail of Peter Bethune, and the controversy surrounding the lead-up to the Delhi Commonwealth Games, as well as the impact of the recession, mirroring surveys in other countries," says Asia New Zealand Foundation's director, policy and research Dr Andrew Butcher.

"The benefits of a relationship with Asia that New Zealanders see as being the most positive are primarily economic."

Meanwhile attitudes regarding the contribution that Asian people make to New Zealand has not changed significantly since 2009.

"In general, New Zealanders are positive about the contribution that Asian people (84 percent) make, with 75 percent believing that Asian immigrants bring a valuable cultural diversity to New Zealand," Dr Butcher says.

Over a third of New Zealanders (36 percent) can name an event in their area that they see as having an Asian focus. The most common events mentioned are Chinese New Year (30 percent), the Lantern Festival (24 percent), and the Diwali Festival (22 percent).

The survey is also a measure of New Zealanders' level of contact with, and interest in Asian peoples and cultures, and as well as on subjects such as inbound Asian investment, trade with Asia, tourism from Asia, Asian international students and immigration from Asian countries.

The results of the latest survey of New Zealanders' perception of Asia and Asian peoples' in 2010 were carried out in August and September last year. The survey was conducted by Colmar Brunton. For a copy of the study, visit http://www.asianz.org.nz/our-work/knowledge-research/research-reports/so cial-research/perceptions-study

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