This week we join University of Canterbury Professor Alex Tan to discuss a recent "Track II" delegation to Taiwan, to hold the 9th annual dialogue with the Asia New Zealand Foundation's dialogue partner, the Prospect Foundation, as well as catch up with leading think tanks, academics and journalists. Alex brings the delegates together one last time to look back on their key takeaways from the trip.   

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Today we're joined by Dr Reuben Abraham. Reuben’s the CEO of Artha Global, a policy and research organization based in Mumbai and London. He’s a noted expert on India’s economic development, and is currently a Senior Fellow at New York University’s Marron Institute, an Asia Fellow at the Milken Institute in Singapore, and an Honorary Advisor to the Asia New Zealand Foundation.  He was also awarded “Think-Tanker of Year” by Prospect magazine in London in 2021 for his work on the covid crisis in India 

Reuben sat down for a chat India’s economic future, its digital transformation, the Modi Presidency, and its developing relationship with New Zealand. 

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The AIIB is a multilateral development bank based in Beijing. It now has 109 members, including New Zealand. Its mission: to finance " infrastructure with sustainability at its core." Bank President Jin Liqun has been on a quick visit to NZ, and discusses the bank's goals and aspirations, as it continues to develop links to the Pacific. 

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This week’s guest is Thomas Parks, the Asia Foundation’s country representative in Thailand, where he manages programme addressing inequality, education, digital tech, and international relations. He also oversees the Foundation’s regional cooperation programs in Southeast Asia, with a strong focus on ASEAN. He’s been based in Thailand since 2008, and has spent time  in the Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia, and Cambodia.

His latest book is entitled “Southeast Asia’s Multi Polar Future – Preventing a new Cold War.” 

We spoke to Tom about the book on a recent visit to Wellington, and began by asking him to put the region's current developing multi-polar picture into an historical context.. 

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In late 2022 Japan released its new security and defence policy. It swept away much of the self-restraint that had characterised Tokyo's attitude to security since 1945, and saw the Kishida Administration bringing defence and security issues to the fore. Today on the podcast we speak with Japanese foreign policy experts Professor Akiko Fukushima and Professor Ken Jimbo, on Japan's new national security strategy, the progress made on the "Free & Open Indo-Pacific" initiative (the FOIP) , and Japan's role in shaping the regional order.  

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Cris D. Tran is a  Vietnam-based digital strategist working with the Frontier Leader Institute,  and a whole lot more besides. He's at the cutting edge of tech development across Asia, be it blockchain, AI , Web 2.0, or the vast array of tech advancements now  impacting on business and consumers. Cris is  in New Zealand to attend the Canterbury Tech Summit in Christchurch, and speaking on the topic of  “Asymmetric Competition in Digital Age.” The Asia New Zealand Foundation's senior adviser (Business) Ethan Jones sat down with Cris for a chat about just where Asia is headed in the tech space, and how New Zealand might be best placed to take advantage of the opportunities on offer. 

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Ramesh Thakur is Emeritus Professor in the Crawford School of Public Policy at the ANU in Canberra. In NZ recently, he discusses Indian geo-politics in 2023, the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and Delhi's mercurial External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. 

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Singapore-based Andrew Tan has spent 28 years in the public sector where he's held key positions across various Singapore government agencies, from the Ministry of Information and the Arts, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in the Prime Minister’s Office as the Private Secretary to Lee Kuan Yew. 

He is also a former CEO at Singapore’s National Environment Agency, and Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. 

He's spent time as Director of Singapore's Centre for Liveable Cities, and has most recently been working as a managing director at global investment company Temasek.

He also finds time to be involved with the Singapore Management University, and the Singapore Business Federation.

Andrew was in New Zealand recently to address the China Business Summit held in Auckland, and following his address he spoke to Suz Jessep and James To from the Asia New Zealand Foundation about Singapore's development model, and the challenges ahead across the region.  

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Myanmar's civil strife continues with opposition forces refusing to buckle amid a struggle that shows no immediate sign of ending. Meanwhile the junta insists nationwide elections can and will be held eventually. Dr Tun Aung Shwe is the NUG's representative in Canberra, and joins us to discuss the way forward in bringing democracy back to Myanmar. 

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Journalist Sam Sachdeva discusses his new book "The China Tightrope", a detailed look at the China-New Zealand relationship:  the good, the difficult, and the way ahead. How did we get here? And how can NZ best negotiate the minefield of trade pragmatism and principled foreign policy?   

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After a Asia New Zealand Foundation trip to Indonesia in 2017, Northland teacher Brent Strathdee-Pehi had his eyes and ears opened to possibilities in and outside the classroom. He's now teaching at an International School in Timor Leste, and discovering more about the ties between Aotearoa and Asia, in language, music , and much more.   

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Professor Nick Bisley is an international relations professor and the Dean of Humanities at Melbourne’s La Trobe University. He’s researched and written extensively on political economy and globalisation in Asia. Nick was in NZ recently for a series of lectures looking at the post-Covid economic reformation underway in Asia, he joins us to discuss what he describes as the “scrambled -re-globalisation" and how it will shape the future in Asia and elsewhere. 

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Brunei's 2nd Foreign Minister Dato Erywan Yusof was in New Zealand recently, and sat down for a brief chat on the current relationship between the two countries, the new upgrade to the ASEAN-Australia-NZ FTA, and the on-going challenge ASEAN is facing in de-fusing the Myanmar conflict. 

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Professor James Laurenceson is Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at University of Technology in Sydney. Professor Laurenceson spoke to Graeme Acton about China's economy, its current economic woes, and why China's economic sanctions on Australia barely left a mark.   

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Asia New Zealand Foundation arts director Craig Cooper chats with Lucy Marinkovich, New Zealand based contemporary dancer, choreographer and the artistic director of the Borderline Arts Ensemble. Lucy shares her experiences in Asia, her plans for the future, and her new dance work 'Nothing Is" , one of the Asia New Zealand Foundation's 2021 "IN TOUCH" digital arts commissions. 

Tile image: HEMISPHERES - Mass Solitube by Sarah Foster-Sproull - Performed by Joshua Faleatua (Footnote) and Christy Poinsettia (Guangdong Modern Dance Company) - Photo by Eden Mulholland

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India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has been in New Zealand for discussions with government officials and public events in Auckland and Wellington. It's the first visit by an Indian EAM for twenty years and he was keen to discuss India's future, its upcoming presidency at the G20, and how New Zealand and India can improve their relationship.   

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Documentary photographer John Williams has been exploring issues of faith and worship for a number of years. This has included several trips to India to photograph in- depth projects that explore aspects of pilgrimage and religious worship. Craig Cooper speaks to John  about his photography, his travels across India, and his latest project – a digital reworking of his profound and moving “Pilgrimage" exhibition from 2016. 

Tile image: HEMISPHERES - Mass Solitube by Sarah Foster-Sproull - Performed by Joshua Faleatua (Footnote) and Christy Poinsettia (Guangdong Modern Dance Company) - Photo by Eden Mulholland

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Craig Cooper speaks to Allan Xia, a Chinese/ New Zealand multi-disciplinary storyteller whose works span a broad spectrum of mediums such as illustration, comics, photography, videography, videogames and virtual reality. He's the founder of Kognika Ltd - a boutique creative agency, and also founder and director of Chromacon New Zealand Indie Arts Festival - a biennial event that connects creatives and art-lovers. Allan is passionate about advocating for New Zealand's creative sector, the value of original creative IP, and bridging collaborations between China and New Zealand.

Tile image: HEMISPHERES - Mass Solitube by Sarah Foster-Sproull - Performed by Joshua Faleatua (Footnote) and Christy Poinsettia (Guangdong Modern Dance Company) - Photo by Eden Mulholland

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Chye-Ling Huang is a Chinese-Pākehā writer, director, actress, and co-founder and director of the Proudly Asian Theatre Company in Auckland. She’s worked in television, on stage, in advertising and on podcasts and web series. 

She's had a long association with the Asia New Zealand Foundation, and was one of ten artists selected in 2020 to work on a digital art project looking at their personal on-going connection to Asia, even during the Covid lockdown.

 Asia New Zealand Foundation Arts Director Craig Cooper caught up with her to discuss, the arts, Aotearoa , and Asia.   

Tile image: HEMISPHERES - Mass Solitube by Sarah Foster-Sproull - Performed by Joshua Faleatua (Footnote) and Christy Poinsettia (Guangdong Modern Dance Company) - Photo by Eden Mulholland

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The new Australian government has signaled a few changes in policy towards its immediate neighbours in Asia and the Pacific. This week we're joined by International Relations experts Professor Alex Tan and Associate Professor Nicholas Khoo, to look at the new foreign policy dynamic in Canberra, and how New Zealand would benefit from renewing its outreach in a similar fashion. 

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The Asia New Zealand Foundation's annual "Perceptions of Asia" survey asks New Zealanders for their views on Asia and its peoples, and supports an informed public conversation regarding New Zealand's engagement with the region. Now in its 25th year, the survey is a unique insight on the growing connections between New Zealand and Asia. In this Asia Insight we speak to Suz Jessep, Director of Research and Engagement, about the survey, and about the "Seriously Asia Revisited" project currently underway.   

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It is the international defence summit meeting that takes its name from the Singapore hotel venue. The Shangri-La Dialogue is a gathering of politicians, analysts, diplomats and business leaders from around the world who come together to debate issues, with politicians also heavily involved in bilateral meetings.  Graeme Acton chatted with attendees Professor David Capie from Victoria University in Wellington, and Newsroom correspondent Sam Sachdeva, to hear their impressions of the summit held earlier this month.     

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In this episode, the Asia New Zealand Foundation's Alexis Allen speaks with Indonesian entrepreneur Adi Reza of Mycotech, and New Zealand entrepreneur Veronica Harwood-Stevenson of Humble Bee Bio, who are both creating innovative solutions in sustainability. Leather from mushrooms, and bioplastics from bees, it's all part of a sustainable future being built right now.

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The Asia New Zealand Foundation's Graeme Acton speaks to Professor Bates Gill  - China expert and author currently with Macquarie University in Sydney - about China's involvement in the Pacific.  What's behind the latest moves? What should New Zealand do? And how will the Pacific change under the proposed closer economic and political relationship with China?  Professor Gill's new book "Daring to Struggle: China's Global Ambitions Under Xi Jinping" is out now. 

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The Asia New Zealand Foundation's Adam McConnochie talks Asia and tech with two experts in the field: Bradley Scott and Cris Tran. Both are serial entrepreneurs with huge experience across a range of tech businesses in the region. For this chat, Brad joined Adam from Auckland, and Cris is in Vietnam. The discussion ranges across how to succeed in Asia in the tech world, how NZ companies are performing currently in the tech space, and where the new challenges are coming from?  

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