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New Zealanders' Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples

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New Zealanders' Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples Our approach 1 New Zealanders’ Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples 2019 Annual Survey Photo credits: Cover image: Super Tree Grove at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore, image by Coleen Rivas (Unsplash). Page 4: Charu Chaturvedi (Unsplash) Designed by Published Chrometoaster | www.chrometoaster.com June 2020 ISBN 978-0-9951363-0-4 (PDF) Authors ISBN 978-0-9951363-1-1 (Print) Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Disclaimer Tūhono and Colmar Brunton Comments made in this research report do not necessarily represent the views of the Asia New © Asia New Zealand Foundation Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono. 1 Contents Our approach 4 Do we view Asia as an 8 important part of our future? What do we know 22 about Asia? How do New Zealanders 32 perceive the Asia region? How does the media influence 44 our perceptions of Asia? What skills do we need 50 to be Asia-savvy? Christchurch terror attack: 60 did it impact our perceptions of Asia? Background, methodology, 64 and sample profiles New Zealanders’ Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples 2 2019 Annual Survey Comment from the Executive Director Since 1997, the Foundation’s Perceptions of Asia By January 2020, the mystery virus that became and Asian Peoples survey has captured the impact known as COVID-19 had grown to become of current events on New Zealanders’ perceptions arguably the biggest global event the Foundation of the Asian region and its peoples. These have had seen in its 26-year history. In March 2020, included natural disasters, economic crises, we asked Colmar Brunton to carry out a mini-poll political changes, security concerns and sporting to see how the spread of COVID-19 might have events, to name just a few. affected perceptions of Asia. Despite annual fluctuations, the overall trend That poll showed that significantly more New has been positive: New Zealanders are becoming Zealanders felt it was important for New Zealand more knowledgeable and confident in Asia and, as to develop political, economic and social ties with their connections deepen, their Asia-savvy skills Asia (79 percent in March 2020, compared to are also improving. 67 percent in November 2019). Some, however, acknowledged the pandemic had negatively The latest Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples impacted their view of Asia. survey was taken in November 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19. The results reveal One of the recurrent findings of Perceptions of Asia that New Zealanders feel closer to Asia compared and Asian Peoples is the importance of face-to- to five years ago. Two out of three believe it is face connections, and there is no doubt COVID-19 important New Zealand continues to develop ties has put a significant dent in New Zealand’s ability with Asia; and self-assessed knowledge of Asia is to connect with Asia. Border restrictions have not improving year-on-year. only placed limitations on outward travel, but also on New Zealand's ability to welcome overseas visitors, international students and new migrants. 3 The survey confirms New Zealanders like to travel; Finally, I would like touch on the Christchurch and while New Zealanders may have to cool their mosque attacks on 15 March 2019. Included heels as the world recovers from COVID-19, we in this report is a mini-poll that explores how this can expect they will once again set off and explore devastating event impacted New Zealanders in due course. and their perceptions of Asia – noting that more than half of the Muslim world lives in Asia. The Fortunately, New Zealanders’ wide range of results show a high level of empathy towards Asia-interests, including food, languages, arts people of Asian ethnicity, but also recognition and culture, business and sport, should keep that much more could be done to build stronger, them engaged in the meantime. closer relations. But New Zealanders also have some concerns As we eventually heal and look to the future, we about Asia. In the 2019 survey, we asked about can be confident Asia will be part of New Zealand’s the environment, and 40 percent told us they growth story. More and more New Zealanders considered environmental issues in Asia are likely identify as Asian; and many more recognise the to negatively impact New Zealand over the next value of deep connections with the region. two decades. The survey finds growing levels of awareness and an increasingly nuanced view of regional developments impacting New Zealand such as the Indo-Pacific construct; the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement and the Belt and Road Initiative. Simon J Draper It also tests New Zealanders’ appetite for hosting Asia New Zealand Foundation APEC in 2021. Te Whītau Tūhono New Zealanders’ Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples 4 2019 Annual Survey Our approach The Asia New Zealand Foundation has been surveying New Zealanders’ perceptions of Asia for more than two decades. The annual survey supports an informed public conversation about New Zealanders’ engagement with the countries and peoples of Asia, and it also guides the Foundation’s own work: equipping New Zealanders to thrive in Asia. Our approach 5 This report presents the results of The COVID-19 results are included four significant surveys: throughout this report, to offer a comparison between November 1. A major quantitative Perceptions 2019, when the main survey of Asia and Asian Peoples was conducted, and March 2020, survey of 2002 New Zealanders when the COVID-19 survey aged 15 years and over, was conducted. conducted in November 2019. The results have been weighted The Christchurch terror attack so that they are representative survey results are included as a of New Zealanders by age, stand-alone feature at the gender, ethnicity and location; end of the report. 2. Quotes and insights taken Since this research began more from four qualitative focus than 20 years ago, New Zealand groups that were held in has experienced a number of parallel with the Perceptions demographic changes. One of Asia and Asian Peoples prominent feature of change has survey to provide more depth of been our growing ethnic diversity, understanding about perceptions with 707,598 New Zealanders, of major Asian countries. Those 15 percent, self-identifying as recruited were people who had being of Asian ethnicity in the 2018 at least some knowledge of Census, compared to 354,552 international relations; in 2006. Of these, our biggest communities are of Chinese and 3. A survey of 1000 New Zealanders Indian ethnicity, followed by Filipino taken in March 2020 exploring and Korean (see Figure 1 overleaf). the perception of Asia following the outbreak of COVID-19; and 4. Another survey of 1000 New Zealanders taken in June 2019 looking at the impact of the Christchurch terror attack on New Zealanders’ perceptions of Asia. New Zealanders’ Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples 6 2019 Annual Survey Figure 1 Census 2018: Asian New Zealanders 2018 707,598 2013 471,708 2006 354,552 Largest 10 Asian ethnic groups in 2018 Census 231,387 72,612 Filipino Chinese 10,623 Thai 35,664 10,086 Korean Vietnamese 9,672 Cambodian 18,141 Japanese 9,171 221,916 Sinhalese Indian 15,132 Fijian Indian Source: Statistics New Zealand, Census 2018 Our approach 7 Changes to the report and Comparison between 2014 questionnaire and 2019 surveys Last year's survey, alongside recurrent longitudinal In this year’s report we have provided some survey questions, included a number of new comparisons between 2014 and 2019 survey questions that provide extra insight into how results, to show the changing trends in New New Zealanders perceive Asia and its peoples: Zealanders’ perceptions of Asia over the last five years. Although the survey methodology has changed • A general knowledge test, in which respondents over this period – from telephone interviews to were asked to identify five Asian countries online questionnaires – the questions used for the on a map of the region. From this, we can comparison have remained largely unchanged. look at the link between self-assessed and actual knowledge; • Discussion of how New Zealand might grow its key Asia relationships and why; A focus on Māori and young people • Questions about attendance at and the Where possible, the report highlights differences impact of Asian arts and cultural events; in perception between New Zealanders of different • Questions about APEC, the “Indo-Pacific” age groups, with a particular focus on those and the “RCEP” trade deal; aged under 30-years-old. We also highlight the perceptions of Māori where they might differ from • A word association for the word “Asia” the national average. both before and after COVID-19; and • Questions about the impact of the 2019 Rugby World Cup on perceptions of Japan. Context for the survey In the qualitative discussion, which took place prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, we explored: New Zealanders’ responses are inevitably influenced by events happening at the time the survey is • New Zealand’s place in the world, as a conducted. The following topics received media neighbour to Asia; coverage around the time the quantitative and • Perceptions of places in Asia and their qualitative survey fieldwork was being conducted relationship with New Zealand; in November 2019 and may have influenced New Zealanders’ responses: • Attitudes to some of the largest countries in Asia; • Coverage of Greta Thunberg and climate change issues; • Media sources and influences. • Forest fires in Indonesia; More details of the qualitative research are included in the last section of this report. • Sri Lankan presidential elections; Following Brexit, the United Kingdom has been • ASEAN summit meetings in Bangkok, Thailand; separated from mainland Europe in the knowledge • Controversy over political party donations and importance questions.
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