New Zealand is recalibrating its place in the world amid increasing geopolitical uncertainties, with Asia at the center of how people in the Pacific nation see their country's future, a new survey shows.
Within Asia, China is deemed the most important for New Zealand's future. Also, for the first time in a decade, China has overtaken the United States in favorability ratings among New Zealanders, according to the survey.
The findings come from the latest New Zealanders' Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples Survey, released by the Asia New Zealand Foundation last week. Conducted from January to February, the survey collected responses from 2,300 New Zealanders aged 15 and above.
Julia Macdonald, the foundation's research and engagement director, told China Daily that the report showed that "Asia continues to be seen as very important to New Zealand's future, and China is seen as the most important country to New Zealand's future".
The survey shows that China ranked first by a considerable margin in perceptions of the importance of Asian countries to New Zealand's future. A total of 81 percent of respondents said China was important or very important, with 51 percent rating it as very important.
