The Asia New Zealand Foundation's 28th annual Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples survey shows that New Zealanders are maintaining their commitment to and engagement in Asia while adapting to changing regional dynamics.

“New Zealanders are becoming more discerning about regional relationships,” says Suzannah Jessep, Chief Executive of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono. “Our conversations have shifted from “Asia” to conversations about the specific countries and sectors that we are engaged with…The report shows that today our ties across the Asia region are broader, deeper and more mutually beneficial than ever.”

This year’s survey presents changes in views over the past year, as well as longitudinal trends of public attitudes across demographics, regions and sectors, helping to inform both public dialogue and policymaking.

Japan continues to be regarded by New Zealanders as the friendliest and most trusted country in Asia, and is the relationship New Zealanders would like to see further investment in. New Zealanders are also feeling increasingly positive towards partners across Southeast Asia as well as South Korea, with these countries all seeing a significant jump in how friendly they are perceived to be.

The positive shift toward Southeast Asian countries coincides with New Zealand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) celebrating 50 years of formal ties, as well as a number of important bilateral anniversaries in the region.

“We're seeing New Zealand’s effort and investment translate into genuine warmth in public sentiment toward individual Southeast Asian nations.” says Dr Julia Macdonald, Director Research and Engagement of the Foundation.

While China continues to be ranked as the most important country in Asia for New Zealand’s future, sentiment towards the country remains mixed and has cooled in recent months following China's live fire drills and partnership deal with the Cook Islands.

The same holds true for the United States, with friend perceptions dropping following tariff announcements and changes in US foreign policy toward Russia and Ukraine.

“New Zealanders are responding to real-world events and their implications for us and our region,” adds Macdonald. “The data shows a public that's engaged with international developments.”

In this context, New Zealanders are seeing countries in Asia as increasingly important defence and security partners, with Singapore and South Korea both highly rated.

In terms of media, more New Zealanders now think Asia receives too little coverage. Social media continues its upward trend as a key source of Asia news, especially among young New Zealanders.

“The appetite for Asia content is clearly there,” says Jessep. “New Zealanders want more comprehensive coverage of the region, recognising that developments in Asia directly impact back home."

The report demonstrates the depth and breadth of New Zealand's relationship with Asia and shows how far we have come in our understanding of the region. New Zealanders’ self-assessed knowledge of Asia has almost doubled in the past decade - increasing from 33 percent in 2013 to 59 percent today.

Read the full report

Key findings:

• Four in five New Zealanders see Asia as important or very important to New Zealand's future, with only Australia ranking higher in significance.

• Knowledge of Asia remains at an all-time high, holding steady from the previous survey, even as New Zealanders report lower confidence in their knowledge of other world regions.

• Japan remains New Zealand's closest friend in Asia, most trusted regional partner, and the relationship New Zealanders most want strengthened.

• All Southeast Asian countries and South Korea saw significant increases in being viewed as friends, coinciding with 50 years of New Zealand-ASEAN relations.

• Sentiment towards China remains mixed and fluctuating, reversing from more positive in November 2024 to more negative by March 2025 following foreign policy developments. • New Zealanders' positive sentiment toward and trust in the United States dropped significantly following the 2024 election and tariff announcements.

• North Korea remains the biggest perceived threat to New Zealand in Asia, followed by Russia. • New Zealanders have mixed views on defence spending and AUKUS, though more believe AUKUS will enhance rather than diminish regional safety.

• For the first time, more New Zealanders think Asia receives too little media coverage than adequate coverage.

• Over half of New Zealanders feel connected to Asia in daily life, with social media increasingly important for Asia news, especially among younger people.

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