Prime Minister John Key has launched a "NZ Inc ASEAN Strategy" with the aim of increasing investment, tourism, trade and economic returns from and with the region.
ASEAN, or the Association of South East Asian Nations, includes Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. New Zealand and Australia already have a Free Trade Agreement Agreement with ASEAN.
“The 10 countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations present us with opportunities to grow our trade and political relationships in our neighbourhood. It’s a region whose 620 million people account for nearly 10% of the world’s population,” says Key.
“Already ASEAN as a bloc is New Zealand’s fourth largest trading partner and over the past 10 years New Zealand’s total trade with ASEAN has grown at 9% per year on average."
Key says the NZ Inc ASEAN Strategy sets out ambitious goals over the next five years, including growing annual visitor expenditure from the region by two-thirds, from $289 million to $470 million, and boosting New Zealand’s exports to the region by 40% by the end of 2017.
“It also underlines the importance of building on our already strong political and security relationships across ASEAN, including an increased diplomatic presence in the region and more work together on disaster relief," Key says.
“New Zealand needs to be making the most of a young, increasingly urban, affluent and quality conscious region only half the distance from our traditional European customers. 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,” says Key.
More information about the NZ Inc ASEAN Strategy can be found at: www.nzincstrategy.mfat.govt.nz
3 Comments
Doubt it.
Statements such as this are not a substitute for substance and would not be necessary if actions were on parade -but they never are, so we stumble once again on the grandiloquence of good intentions.
“New Zealand needs to be making the most of a young, increasingly urban, affluent and quality conscious region only half the distance from our traditional European customers. 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,” says Key.
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