| Abstrakt: |
The article presents information that New Zealanders increasingly see themselves as part of Asia and the Asian nations appear to be returning the compliment. In the year to December 1993, Overseas Investment Commission figures show that Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore invested NZ$844.8 million in New Zealand, making the Asian region the second biggest investor after North America. The total was probably considerably higher, as the commission's figures do not include investments under NZ$10 million. There were many of this size as Asian investors were leading purchasers of Asian commercial property. In the past, Asian investment in New Zealand has trailed traditional investors such as the U.S., Australia and Great Britain. Last year, the U.S. remained in first place with NZ$2,610 million, followed by Asia, then Australia with NZ$787 million and Great Britain with NZ$220 million. At the same time, New Zealand has been investing heavily in Asia. However, since the government removed exchange controls in 1986, the size of the investment is not known. But it is substantial. The New Zealand Dairy Board has bought food companies throughout Asia as part of an international investment worth NZ$2 billion. Many international companies are investing heavily in New Zealand as a gateway for their products into Asia. Japan, Korea and Taiwan have large investments in fishing and all the big Japanese car firms have manufacturing facilities in New Zealand. |
