Asia-Pacific integration: the economic and security dimensions.

• Jurisdiction: New Zealand
• Date: 01 March 2014
• Author: Kennedy, Peter

On 13 November Victoria University's Centre for Strategic Studies and the NZIIA combined to host the Asia-Pacific Integration Symposium. This all day symposium was supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the New Zealand Defence Force, the Ministry of Defence and the Asia New Zealand Foundation and looked at the dramatic reshaping of the international economic order against the process of strategic rebalancing occurring in the Asia region. It asked the question: are these two processes compatible, complementary, or on a collision course?

In his introductory comments Sir Douglas Kidd, president, NZIIA, suggested that the government could perform better in informing New Zealanders about developments like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. FFe turned then to John Hayes, chair of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Select Committee, to give the opening address. Hayes commented that New Zealanders like to think of themselves as integrated players in the region. We were, however, slower than Australia at reaching this point. Whilst the centre of global economic...