Pansy Wong: Things that bind us
new-zealand-national-party
Fri Oct 05 2007 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Pansy Wong: Things that bind us
Friday, 5 October 2007, 12:21 am
Press Release: New Zealand National Party
Things that bind us
The image of big, burly Chinese rugby players is one that not many people would take seriously. Even recent migrants from China don’t know there are 10,000 rugby players in China. However, the tour of New Zealand by the People’s Liberation Army team proves that Chinese rugby players are worthy opponents. The Army has adopted rugby as its official game, and they play in the first division at Hong Kong’s rugby tournament, and the agricultural university in Beijing also has a team.
The image of Chinese New Zealanders going wild for their favourite team is one that not many people would take seriously either. Yet more than 1,000 people turned up at North Harbour Stadium last Friday to see the PLA team take on the Royal New Zealand Navy team in the curtain-raiser to the North Harbour v Southland Air NZ Cup game.
The sea of red supporters was impressive, and even the Navy’s rugby patron, Buck Shelford, was taken with the boys from China. It was refreshing to see the PLA team's passion for rugby, given that it’s a relatively minor sport in China. The deafening noise from the spectators, chanting ‘Go China Go’, drowned out the Navy supporters. Even NZ Herald sports reporter James Ihaka said that our local games need that sort of support to rev them up.
I was backing the Navy, so it was a huge relief they won 22-15. This followed the PLA’s shock 64-28 win against the Air Force in their first match. After that, the Navy and Army put their best teams on the field, with the Army having the final say and defeating the visitors 60–6.
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The PLA boys told me they thoroughly enjoyed the tour, and are backing the All Blacks to win the World Cup. One player said he won’t watch rugby again if the All Blacks don’t win. One of the tour’s highlights has been the camaraderie between the teams. In between games, the PLA team took part in training days with various coaches to help develop their skills.
This trip has shown how well Kiwis can engage with Asia beyond business, and how much Asia has in common with New Zealand. National's Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade Discussion Paper was released earlier this week and one of the aims is to enhance New Zealand’s focus on Asia. Visits like the one by the PLA team help do this - sporting diplomacy can add zest and flair to our relationship.
National wants to develop the ‘Asia literacy’ of Kiwis through education, immigration and other policy. It will take one or two generations to get New Zealand into the right space to fully engage with Asia, and bonding over a favourite sport like rugby is a good starting point.
We are committed to fully engaging the 10% of Kiwis who identify as Asian, because this group’s potential has not been fully recognised. It’s about thinking smarter and being flexible so their networks and expertise benefit our relationship with the Asian region.
The opening of the Buddhalight temples in Auckland and Christchurch has also demonstrated the extent of Asian networks in New Zealand. Buddhalight's founder, the Venerable Master Hsing Yun, made a special trip to New Zealand for the opening.
Hundreds of people worked for years to make these temples a reality. It took seven years for the huge Auckland temple to be completed, and it is now a tourist landmark. The contemporary design of the Christchurch temple made it a winner in the 2007 NZIA Supreme New Zealand award for architecture.
There are more than 200 Buddhalight temples over five continents, with millions of followers. The centre of the organisation is in Los Angeles, and followers from all over the world, including Kiwis, attend international conferences there. The opportunities that can be gained from this network alone are incredible.
The PLA rugby team leaves New Zealand this weekend with a few battle scars, new friends, one win, and a wealth of experience. There’s already talk about our teams making a return visit – what better way to build an enduring friendship than through rugby, our national sport?
Meanwhile, Qian Xun Xue, nicknamed Pumpkin because of the brand of clothing she was wearing when abandoned by her father at the Melbourne railway station, has been reunited with her grandmother, who now has custody of her. They will return to China where there is a large extended family, though Qian Xun will remain a New Zealand citizen and will continue to be a strong bond between our two countries.
Pansy Wong
ends
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