NZ’s ASEAN strategy

New Zealand’s relationships with the founding nations of ASEAN, including the Philippines, stretch back decades. But the nature of those relationships has changed dramatically over time. We are longstanding partners in aid and also defence and security, and join the Philippines at the East Asia Summit. But our trading ties have been transformed by the remarkable economic growth that has taken place in this region. New Zealand now exports to South East Asia in a single week what it exported in a single year in the early 1970s.

This growth is helping to resolve one of New Zealand’s historic challenges — the tyranny of distance from our major markets. In 1950, 90% of New Zealand exports were destined for the United Kingdom. Today, that has been turned on its head. The UK remains an important partner, but 70% of our exports are destined for the Asia-Pacific region, including 10% to the ASEAN region.  In fact ASEAN recently overtook the EU as the largest trading bloc with which New Zealand does business.

Our optimism for this region supported the launch last month in Auckland of New Zealand’s ASEAN Strategy.  Entitled “one pathway to ten markets,” the strategy encourages New Zealanders and New Zealand businesses to focus on this region, and sets some ambitious goals. As stated by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, “we are in a sound position to boost our relationship with the region. We have a free trade agreement in place, a strong shared history, and are geographically close.”

But what does the ASEAN Strategy mean for the Philippines? New Zealand and the Philippines have very friendly and longstanding relations, but I am sure there is more we can do together. We were delighted to welcome President Aquino to New Zealand last year, and I expect to see more visits in both directions by government figures and businesspeople in order to encourage greater awareness of opportunities. We have some powerful forces in our favour.

At the level of business, the ASEAN-Australia-NZ Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force in 2010, is a very high quality agreement that positions us to work ever more closely with this region as it moves towards the goal of an ASEAN Economic Community.

Recent years have also seen the rapid emergence of a Filipino community in New Zealand. As Filipinos make their mark in New Zealand, kiwis are becoming more aware of the Philippines and its wonderful people. That awareness will, over time, translate into greater business and tourism in both directions and, eventually, a direct air service that would cut travel time from 15 hours to less than 10. 

This is a part of the world that is becoming increasingly interconnected. As it does, the Philippines has some wonderful attributes working in its favour. Its young, educated, English-speaking, and technology-savvy workforce is just one good reason to be confident about greater integration with the wider region. The ASEAN Strategy is an opportunity for more kiwis to open their eyes to this country.

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 (Reuben Levermore is the Ambassador of New Zealand)