Southeast Asia & New Zealand: Early Impressions From a New Study

For the first time, New Zealand has flipped the camera and placed itself squarely in the frame.

In a first-of-its-kind project, the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s new report, Southeast Asian Perceptions of New Zealand, turns the spotlight inward to ask a surprisingly under-explored question: What does Asia think of us?

For 28 years, the Foundation has documented how New Zealanders view Asia. But never before has there been a companion piece showing researchers, policymakers and the public how Asia views Aotearoa in return. At last, one half of the conversation meets the other.

A report that holds up a mirror

The survey reached 200 Southeast Asian experts in international affairs - all with a working knowledge of New Zealand’s foreign policy - across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Their verdict? Reassuringly positive. New Zealand is seen as principled, trustworthy and impressively independent on the global stage.

The report was launched on Thursday at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, in an event hosted by the Asia New Zealand Foundation and the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs (NZIIA). Nearly 60 people attended, keen to understand what the findings might signal for New Zealand’s future engagement.

(From left to right) Dr Julia Macdonald, Professor David Capie, Professor Jason Young and and Kenneth Leong at the report launch event. Image credits - AMC

Dr Julia Macdonald, the Foundation’s Director of Research and Engagement, said the report builds naturally on the Foundation’s long-running Perceptions of Asia survey.

“We not only have to understand more about Asia better ourselves,” she said, “but we also need to understand how our behaviour, our actions, our policies are viewed in the region to be able to tailor our engagements and to build stronger and deeper relations going forward.”

New Zealand is seen as principled, trustworthy and impressively independent on the global stage. Image credits - Asia New Zealand Foundation

We think we know ourselves — but do we?

Panellist Kenneth Leong, Director at Tiaki Capital, described the report as a much-needed moment of self-reflection.

“We have perceptions of ourselves, and an idea of what others think of us. But it is important for a third party to conduct research and analysis to see if what we think aligns with what the world thinks of us,” he said.

“This report shows that most of what we think of ourselves does align with the world’s understanding of us — being green and clean.”

Still, he noted a key question:

“Are these perceptions formed from real news reports, or advertisements and travel websites about New Zealand?”

He added that Southeast Asia clearly expects New Zealand to take stronger positions on major global issues — particularly climate change.

Southeast Asia clearly expects New Zealand to take stronger positions on major global issues — particularly climate change. Image credits - AMC

 Soft power that travels well

To get a sense of how younger analysts interpreted the findings, we spoke with Ben Young, a student at Victoria University of Wellington and Policy Lead at the Organisation for Threat Assessment and Peacebuilding. What struck him most was how consistently New Zealand’s soft power held up across all four countries.

“We are seen as a trusted and reliable partner,” he said. “Recognising both our strengths and areas for development, and also the expectations others have of us, helps us to build, develop and invest in more meaningful and impactful partnerships.”

He added that broadening the survey’s scope would strengthen future insights:

“Over time, this would allow us to develop a rich base of comparative data and track how perceptions evolve.”

Ben also said New Zealand should not shy away from harder conversations.

“Being willing to ask some hard questions about the limitations of New Zealand’s international engagement can help identify where our resources and efforts are best directed.”

How fast do perceptions change?

One audience member asked how quickly reputations shift. Julia’s response: “Reputations are sticky.”

“We spend decades investing in our reputation in certain areas, and it is still showing,” she said. “If we did the same survey in 10 years’ time, it will be different.”

Kenneth illustrated this with an example from international education.

Once, Malaysia was New Zealand’s biggest source of international students. Today, Malaysia hosts three times more international students than New Zealand and sends comparatively few here.

“In fact, it has become our competitor,” he noted.

 Why these four countries — and who comes next?

 Dr Matthew O’Meagher at the launch event. Image credits - Asia New Zealand Foundation

 Dr Matthew O’Meagher, Principal Adviser, International (Research) at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, said the report was fascinating even on a first read. He had asked during the event why Vietnam wasn’t included in this first round.

“Vietnam has recently been a higher priority in engagement compared to the Philippines,” he said. He suggested that future surveys should also include India, Bangladesh, Japan and other rising strategic players.

Julia addressed this during the event, explaining that the team selected these four countries offering variation in foreign policy alignment, cultural and religious backgrounds, and political systems.

“This group provides useful variation for analysis and a helpful snapshot. But it is not like we won’t be looking at other countries like Vietnam in the future,” she said.

 “We must shape our own story”

A member of the audience, who preferred not to be named, said the report’s impact will depend on whether New Zealand acts on it.

“We are geographically far away from the rest of the world but not immune to what’s happening,” they said. “From the initial presentation, I understand that the perceptions the region has of New Zealand are on autopilot. We must consciously work towards creating a certain image of ourselves in the world.”

They pointed to global examples — the United States crafting its identity as a world leader, and India positioning itself as the voice of the Global South — as reminders that national branding is intentional, not incidental.

 As the event wrapped up and conversations spilled into the corridor, a consistent theme emerged: New Zealand is well-liked and respected in Southeast Asia but being liked is not the same as being fully understood. In a region evolving at speed, familiarity alone won’t secure New Zealand’s place. The report doesn’t sound an alarm; instead, it offers a clear nudge: New Zealand matters, but it could matter more.

In many ways, the findings serve as both a compliment and a challenge. Southeast Asia trusts New Zealand, but it also expects ambition. The region is shifting quickly, and “green and clean” will not be enough to carry New Zealand’s reputation forward on its own. If Aotearoa acts on these insights — investing, engaging and speaking with greater clarity — it can build a role that is not only respected, but genuinely relevant in the years ahead. The opportunity is clear; the next move is New Zealand’s.

-Asia Media Centre