National Office and branch activities.

• Position: INSTITUTE NOTES

At a meeting at Parliament on 21 June, Cecilia Malmstrom (European Union trade commissioner) delivered the 2018 Europa Lecture on "The European Union and New Zealand: Partners in Global Trade'. This meeting was co-hosted by the European Union Delegation to New Zealand, in association with the EUC Network.

On 18 June a delegation from the China Institute of International Studies visited the National Office and was welcomed by Sir Douglas Kidd Led by former Chinese ambassador to Bahrain Qi Zhenlong, the CIIS's president, the delegation included Dr Liu Qing (director of the CIIS's Department for Asia-Pacific Studies), Liang Xue (programme officer and research assistant in the Office of International Exchanges) and Jin Hui of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There was a valuable exchange of views on a range of topics, assisted by the fact that the delegation members spoke English. The delegates emphasised their desire for a closer relationship between the two institutes in future.

It is noted with sadness that the former chair of the NZIIAs now defunct Wanganui branch Gerald McDouall passed away on 15 June 2018.

On 2 August a panel discussion on 'Which World Are We Living In?' was held at the Backbencher Pub in Wellington with outgoing director Maty Nikkhou-O'Brien in the chair. The panellists were journalist Andrea Vance, Cuban ambassador HE Mario Alzugaray, writer and actor Pinky Agnew, former defence minister Hon Wayne Mapp, CSS fellow Terence O'Brien and the head of the Victoria University School of Government, Prof Girol Karacaoglo.

Auckland

The following meetings were held

13 Jun Dr Jonathan Spyer (fellow at the Mddle East Forum and Jerusalem Post columnist), 'Overview of Current Strategic Trends and Alliances in the Mddle East'. 1 Aug Associate Prof Nicholas Rowe (Dance Studies, Auckland University), The One-State Solution and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign: Civil Society Responses to Government Failure on Palestine/Israel'.

Christchurch

The following meetings were held

13 Aug Dr Jeremy Moses (University of Canterbury), The Failure of the UN and International Law in Syria: A Classical Realist Perspective'.

14 Aug Prof Wang Yiwei (Renmin University of China), 'China's Belt and Road Initiative'.

Nelson

On 14 June Dr James Kember (former ambassador to France) addressed the branch on 'Making the Most of Our Opportunities: Our Relationship with France and Africa'.

Waikato

The following meetings were held:

27 Jun...