Steven Young, former president of NZ Chinese Association commented in his Facebook on November 3, 2011 that:

“Raymond Huo’s opened armed welcome to his new Parliamentary colleague across the house comes dangerously close to identifying the Chinese here as sojourners in residence with Confucian characteristics.”

Other commentators on Facebook went further, in reply to Mr Young’s statement, one commentator said (SIC):

“If I’d known at the time that the second marker for my Honours dissertation was pro-death penalty and anti-gay marriage, I might not have put in that image of that statue of Liberty/goddess of Democracy dominatrix licking her giant ice cream cone.”

Another commentator echoed Mr Young’s view by saying (SIC):

“These overseas chinese migrants who are getting into NZ govt seats, have no bloody idea of nzchinesefullstop, its all themselves and they have there own agenda!”

The confession from me I guess was that I did say something very positive about National candidate and now MP-elect Dr Jian Yang, who – like me – is from the mainland China.

Those relatively new Chinese migrants (who arrived in the early 2000s) made up 71% of the NZ Chinese community which are different in many ways from New Zealand’s 5th or 6th generation of Chinese settlers like Mr Young and the other two commentators.

The early Chinese settlers came to NZ under harsh conditions (consider the racially discriminatory Poll Tax legislation). But they proved to be role models in the long process of accommodation, acculturation and assimilation and eventually became successful Kiwi-Chinese.

They paved the way, in many aspects, for future arrivals including Dr Yang and myself. Sadly and inevitably, it appears to be a gap between those modern ‘sojourners’ (who “have no bloody idea of nzchinesefullstop”) and the “local Chinese” (like Mr Young and the two commentators). How to bring the two together is a question and a mission.

National’s selection of Dr Yang was a careful and reasoned one. Not only has he got the required calibre (to be fair to his Chinese competitors within National Party I won’t comment further), he also positioned himself well in serving the wider community as a conduit between Chinese and the wider community.

His sympathetic position to capital punishment and his anti-gay marriage stance (according to article by Derek Cheng in the NZ Herald, November 2, 2011) largely reflects his background and view of those newly migrated Kiwi-Chinese he represents.

It is worth pursuing whether they became National supporters because they share the same values of the party or are just following a trend but that is beyond the scope of this article. Their collective characteristics, culture and mentality are however something new, if not unknown, to this country.

We as candidates from different political spectrums disagree on many policies but do share a sense of obligation in helping Kiwi Chinese integrate.

My personal view is that it is wrong for a Chinese migrant to come to NZ but end up only sticking to “Chinatown”, literally or in a cultural sense, and only eat Chinese and read/speak Chinese and mingle with Chinese people. Why bother to come to New Zealand if it is the case?

In that sense their being a “sojourner” is not welcome here.

Regarding immigration, I agree to what DPF said on Kiwiblog (22 Nov 2011) that it “should be colour-blind. Individuals should be assessed against criteria such as education, skills, wealth and ability to settle and assimilate in New Zealand.” Ability to settle is one of the determinant factors for such assessment.

Rome was of course not built overnight. It takes time to adapt, appreciate and integrate. Therefore Dr Yang and I being ethnic MPs (should I make it this time) are working towards the same goals. They will not become sojourners if they regard themselves as part of New Zealand, share the responsibility and contributing towards a brighter future.

It is equally important for ethnic candidates to lead by example that campaigning is about debating the policy, not about personality. For ethnic communities it is more important to have a clean and positive campaign (I will blog on this separately). That way we will encourage ethnic community members – with many of whom coming from a non-democratic regime – to participate in our democracy and our nation building process.

Raymond Huo presenting certificate to Rebecca Wood at the NZ College of TCM Graduation ceremony on May 12, 2011.

Attending the New Zealand College of Chinese Medicine graduation ceremony last week I was immediately struck by the diversity of graduates.

Showing that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is becoming a wide-spread and accepted form of health care in New Zealand, graduating students came from Kiwi, Chinese, Korean and Iranian descent.

However it is unfortunate that New Zealand sits behind Australia who has implemented legislation to recognise TCM as a legitimate form of health care. While it seems on the outside that New Zealand has a strong awareness of Asia while Australia lags behind with its connection to Pauline Hanson and the One Nation Party, this anomaly would suggest otherwise.

When you take into account the recent anti-Asian leaflet campaign by Kyle Chapman and his far-right group, I wonder if New Zealand really does sit ahead of Australia in regards to race-relations and awareness of other cultures.

So I put it to Red Alert readers out there, do you think legislation should be implemented in the field of Traditional Chinese Medicine and what would you like to see this legislation achieve?

I look forward to reading your feedback.

China Southern Airlines, who has over 450 modern air-crafts in its entire fleet, confirmed last night that later this year they will fly daily from Auckland to Guangzhou – more than doubling from its current three times a week service.

This move is expected to increase the numbers of visitors on China Southern Airlines to 50,000 a year – worth an estimated $150 million to our economy.

With China becoming one of New Zealand’s fastest growing visitor markets (123,000 people visited last year – up nearly 17 per cent) and injecting around $365 million a year to the New Zealand economy, this new service will provide another boost to the New Zealand tourism industry.

It was also announced that Immigration New Zealand will have a Visa Acceptance Centre (VAC) operational in Guangzhou and VACs will also be established simultaneously in Beijing and Shanghai to meet the increased demand.

This announcement also coincided with the annual Asia New Zealand Foundation survey of New Zealanders perceptions of Asia and Asian people’s.

With the success of the Free Trade Agreement between New Zealand and China, and an increase in awareness of Asian cultural celebrations like Diwali and Lantern Festival, New Zealanders seem to be placing more importance on New Zealand’s relationship with the Asian region, according to the survey results.

Some of the key findings of the survey are listed below:

- More than three-quarters of New Zealanders (77 per cent) see the Asian region as important to New Zealand’s future

- 38 per cent of New Zealander’s see the Asian region as very important to New Zealand’s future

- 84 per cent of New Zealanders are positive about the contribution that Asian people make to New Zealand society

- 75 per cent of New Zealanders believe that Asian immigrants bring a valuable cultural diversity to New Zealand

- Over a third of New Zealanders can name an event in their area that they see as having an Asian focus

Click below to see a copy of the study:

http://www.asianz.org.nz/our-work/knowledge-research/research-reports/social-research/perceptions-study

Fireworks light up the night sky in Auckland from the Telstra Clear Events Centre, near Redoubt Road Intersection, a project that former Manakau Mayor now super-Mayor of Auckland championed. Road users who have benefited from the new intersection have even suggested it should be named: ‘Len Brown’s Bypass’.

Congratulations must be extended to Michael Wood for his first successful appearance in the Chinese community.

At the WTV Chinese New Year celebration at the TelstraClear Events Centre on the weekend, Michael was met with rapturous applause by the 800-strong audience when he greeted the crowd in perfect Chinese. He even gained a nick-name from festival-goers – ‘Labour’s handsome candidate for Botany’.

Chinese New Year falls on February 3 this year and with it brings various New Year celebrations, culminating in the two biggest events – the Chinese New Year and Market Day Festival at the ASB Showground’s and the WTV Lunar Festival at the TelstraClear Events Centre, with both events attracting more than 60,000 visitors.

Phil Goff was greeted warmly at both events and stuck a chord with the audience during his two speeches.

Sitting back on reflection of the two functions, it was striking from the way that the audience interacted with Phil Goff that the country needs a man of substance as opposed to a ‘smile and wave’ leader.

A constituent later told me that she felt grateful to John Key for his ‘honesty’ in showing National’s true colours. She said it appeared National had no plan
in how to grow the economy apart from selling our precious national assets.

For the Chinese community (like any other ethnic community) creation is preferred to speculation when it comes to the economy.

An example of this attitude is found in an early Chinese settler, Mr Chew Chong.

Mr Chong arrived in New Zealand in 1886 and was a key figure in the establishment of New Zealand’s dairy industry where he pioneered the use of refrigeration on dairy goods and is responsible for producing a New Zealand icon – the one pound of butter!

Seventy years after his passing, Mr Chong’s contribution to New Zealand business was acknowledged with his induction into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame

Mr Chong exemplifies the pioneering, hard-working and generous spirit which we expect and would like to see from all our migrants.

Another example of the attitude of creation over speculation comes from an ‘official friend of China’ – Mr Victor Percival

Mr Percival was a regular traveller to China for over 50 years, where he committed himself to creating a trade relationship between the two countries

In 1981 he founded the New Zealand – China Trade Association and was a constant source of advice and information for government officials and China traders.

Sadly, Mr Percival passed away in July last year but his vision of a Free Trade Agreement with China was realised in 2008 when Phil Goff, as Trade Minister, signed the FTA with China.

I believe that sooner or later more Kiwis will appreciate that smile and wave politics may work to keep the polls on your side but won’t create real jobs and economic stability.

For a small, export-orientated country like New Zealand to stay strong and resilient we need to be more creative and less speculative.

Above: Raymond Huo with Isobel Thompson at the launch of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation of NZ.

For a country of four million people it is remarkable how many New Zealanders have made their mark and spread their influence around the world.

A recent article in the Listener profiled seven Kiwis who have made it big in different parts of the globe. All of them had amazing success stories and are now seen as leaders in their various career paths.

But this isn’t a recent occurrence, New Zealanders have been putting their stamp on the world for generations and recently I was privileged to meet one such person at the Establishment of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation in Auckland.

Ms Isobel Easton Thompson is 90-years-old and worked as nurse in China from 1947-1950. She went to China with the New Zealand foundation CORSO and worked for the Chinese Welfare Fund which was headed by Madam Soong Ching Ling (aka Mme Sun Yatsen).

Madam Soong Ching Ling (1893-1981) has been recognised as one of the most influential people of the 20th Century for her contribution and dedication to world peace, socialist causes and global development and before her death in 1981 she was awarded the title of Honorary President of Peoples Republic of China.

Ms Thompson worked closely with Madam Soong Ching Ling during her time in China and detailed her experiences in the book, Yellow River, Mules and Mountains: A New Zealand nurse in China 1947-1950, which gives a fascinating insight into a western nurse living in China during an interesting phase of the country’s history.

Ms Thompson is a member of the Soong Ching Ling foundation of Shanghai and was proud to be on hand as the New Zealand branch was officially recognised.

Madam Soong Ching Ling once said: many things could wait but work for children could not. The Soong Ching Ling foundation will continue her life’s work and ensure that her legacy lives on for generations to come.

Under Ms Wong’s tenure as Minister of Ethnic Affairs, the Ethnic unemployment rate soared to 13.8 per cent, while the Asian unemployment rate doubled from 4.7 per cent when Labour was in office to 10.5 per cent.

When I questioned Ms Wong about the soaring unemployment rate amongst the ethnic community, I was given excuses, half-baked ideas and talk-fests as solutions for the problem.

As it’s the festive season, a season to be jolly and giving, here is my present to Hon Hekia Parata:

My Private Members Bill – Immigration (Migrant Levy) Amendment Bill.

The Bill will extend the amount of funding drawn from the Migrant Levy towards English as a second language and employment orientated training.

This will ensure that migrants are ready to enter the workforce and curtail the rising unemployment level amongst our ethnic communities.

The migrant levy is paid by all migrants upon entering New Zealand. My Bill will not put any strain on tax-payers but use the Levy funds in a more efficient way, to help prepare migrants to enter the workforce.

I have also launched a consultation process on this bill in the ethnic community. In a follow up blog, I will report on how this consultation is progressing.

Pansy collected these and many other cheques which were assumed to going to the National Party – we thought they were being laundered through the Waitemata or other National Party controlled trusts.

But now we know that in fact the money has been paid into an account controlled by Pansy and Sammy Wong.

No wonder Key doesn’t want her to resign – he wants to collect the money variously decribed as hundreds of thousands and well over a million.

Image from the Shanghai Expo

Following a panel discussion at the University of Auckland and a speech at the Rotary Club I felt compelled to ask this question of Finance Minister Bill English: Do you have a plan to grow our economy or have you missed yet another opportunity?

As one of the six panellists at the World Habitat Day Seminar we engaged in a quality debate as to what the success of the Shanghai Expo meant to New Zealand. A similar debate was followed at a Rotary Club function in Auckland where I was invited as a keynote speaker.

I noted that one-third of the expo buildings (250,000m2 of 800,000 m2) were revamped from old, obsolete manufacturing buildings, with many of the new facilities eco-equipped.

The expo is not a one-off showcase. Instead China took the opportunity to enhance the infrastructure of its largest city. The development acted as part of a massive stimulus package which quickened the country’s recovery from the recession.

In fact it is not a simple “recovery”. It managed to maintain its GDP growth to the level of at least 9 per cent. This is extraordinary when we compare China’s economy to that of Japan in the mid-1970s. Back then per capita income in Japan reached US$4000 (in current $ terms) and its GDP growth stalled from 7 per cent to 5 per cent before eventually stopping.

At that time 66 per cent of Japan’s population lived in cities as opposed to now where only 45 per cent of Chinas population lives in cities. It is therefore believed that through urbanisation alone China can and will maintain its growth which is so powerful that it has lifted the growth of other countries, including Australia and New Zealand.

In June I visited Shanghai with Leader Phil Goff. We took the opportunity to walk along the Bung where the former French concession was. The already good waterfront looked better and improved.

The lanes had been repaved, walls refaced and roof’s retiled in the city’s move of embracing its pre-Revolutionary history. Shanghai injected US$1.5 billion into the local economy to uplift the city’s appearance. It created many thousands of jobs and turned the recession into a positive opportunity – not a burden.

Funding was poured into improving infrastructure with the highways, railways, ports and airports all undergoing significant work

In terms of China’s economy, investment now represents 45 per cent while consumer spending represents 36 per cent, although in the last 30 years domestic consumption has increased with inflation-adjusted rate of 9 per cent a year (source: Morgan Stanley).

At a time of recession, an investment economy, in China’s case, not only creates jobs but prepares the country for the future.

Unfortunately for New Zealand the focus for Mr English and the National Party is on how to benefit their core supporting elites – not the future of NZ.

The China Pavilion will stand as a symbol of the Shanghai Expo for generations, permanently solidifying Shanghai’s place as an economic powerhouse of the world.

In the NZ context what we will get from our hard-fought hosting rights to the Rugby world?

Nothing substantial but two temporary sheds on Queens Wharf in Auckland.

 In 1989, then Education Minister Phil Goff made a change in legislation which created an export-education industry now worth over $2.3 billion per year.

Twenty one years on, thousands of fee-paying international students have studied in New Zealand, injecting billions of dollars into our economy and enhancing the diversity of our country.

Some of them have become qualified and settled in NZ as migrants while others returned to their home country. But no matter where they ended up, they all share a common theme – “we love New Zealand”.

On Monday night, more than 400 such people turned up to celebrate the launch of the University of Auckland Chinese Alumni Club.

The majority of them might not sound or look like true New Zealanders according to Paul Henry’s standards, but New Zealand is where their hearts are.

I personally thanked Paul Henry in my speech for his decision to resign from TVNZ.

Another alumnus Paul Thomas asked a number of key questions in the New Zealand Herald last week. He asked:

• Does Henry engage in cutting satire at the expense of the rich and powerful?

• Does he champion unpopular causes?

• Does he challenge middle-class New Zealand’s complacent assumptions?

• Is he a subversive figure like the American comedian Lenny Bruce who suffered police harassment and blacklisting?

Paul henry will fail each of the above questions.

Instead, Paul Henry tried his best to make racism funny and acceptable in New Zealand through his continued irresponsible and derogatory comments, culminating in the attack on our Governor General Anand Satyanand.

Professor Manying Ip wrote to me last week expressing her disappointment about Mr Henry’s comments, and asking how visible minorities could be expected to function at their optimal level when such remarks could go to air on a publicly-funded TV channel.

Paul Henry’s case study will serve as a timely reminder of how important it is for New Zealand to become a fully inclusive and understanding society.

New Zealand’s economic future is another issue talked heavily among alumni last night.

While our Prime Minister is still continuing with his “smile and wave” leadership, New Zealand is slipping further behind other developed countries.

Nearly 24 months have passed since the election and we are still yet to see the NACT government enact any successful plans to grow our economy.

It was also acknowledged by a large number of alumni I spoke to that the robust economies of China and Australia (our two largest trading partners) have helped New Zealand during the recession.

Labours track record while in government shows that it was Labour who was instrumental in aiding any recovery New Zealand has had.

It was Labour who signed the FTA with China, which saw trade more than double within a year of the agreement being signed. And as mentioned above, it was also Labour who opened the door for export education. Interestingly the Minister at the helm of both of these initiatives was current leader of the Labour Party Phil Goff.

We heard Finance Minister Bill English uttering repeatedly in the House that National knows about the economy and how to grow it. I’m sorry Minister English but apart from Mr Paul Henry, you and your colleagues are judged by what you do, not what you say.

As a Chinese-New Zealander, this man may not look or sound like a Kiwi (according to former National Party Candidate Paul Henry’s summation) but his concerns are genuine and need to be addressed.

The constituent told me of his frustration with the police after having his home broken into eight times over the past three months.

The aftermath of a recent break-in

During September his home was broken into twice in one week with the last break-in on October 1.

The constituent and his family are not only frustrated with the constant break-ins, but also by the response of the police.

On each occasion, the police have taken three and four days to respond and after taking fingerprints and doing a scene examination, no follow up has occurred.

The constituent is unemployed and every break-in adds to the financial pressure on the family. The man tells me that his family are living in a constant state of fear and anxiety.

The family has not only lost property through the burglaries but the house has suffered damage with broken windows, kicked in walls and graffiti occurring through the house.

As a New Zealander and Member of Parliament, I’m horrified that this situation is happening in our country. No one should have to live in a state of fear like this man and his family.

I seek a practical response from the Police Minister as to how she intends to deal with this situation.

It’s almost been two years since the NACT Government came into office on the back of a big law and order campaign – but what have they done to help ordinary Kiwis in that time?