Deepening our engagement with Asia
Asia is central to New Zealand’s future prosperity and security. Two-way trade reached over NZD$93 billion in 2024–25, with 43 percent of our exports heading to Asian markets. As the world’s largest regional economy Asia is a vital region for achieving the Government’s “Going for Growth” agenda. Several Asian countries are key partners for expanding investment, boosting innovation, and growing and diversifying exports.
New Zealand’s security is intertwined with the security of the wider Asia region, and we continue to engage with partners and through regional forums to support a peaceful, prosperous, and resilient region.
In the past year, New Zealand intensified engagement with key regional partners and forums. The Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other Ministers led 29 visits to South and Southeast Asia, reinforcing New Zealand’s bilateral relationships, and strong support for ASEAN. The Ministry supported inward visits by the Secretary-General of ASEAN, and ASEAN Prime Ministers’ Fellows from Malaysia, Viet Nam and Indonesia.
International Development Cooperation assistance contributed to strengthening New Zealand’s partnership with ASEAN, including through the Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship Programme. In the last year the Ministry delivered training in New Zealand for more than 500 government officials and post-graduate scholars from ASEAN countries, boosting people-to-people links, deepening New Zealand’s bilateral networks, and strengthening technical capability in the region.
The profile of New Zealand’s relationship with ASEAN was raised this year by a programme of New Zealand cultural diplomacy events leveraging the 50th anniversary of dialogue relations.
Viet Nam: a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership
The Prime Minister’s visit to Viet Nam in February 2025 marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, and another major milestone: elevation of New Zealand’s relationship with Viet Nam to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). The CSP demonstrates the priority that both countries attach to the bilateral relationship and deepening our ties across-the-board. Leaders agreed to a NZD$5 billion two-way trade target by 2026 (from NZD$2.9 billion in 2024).
Philippines: defence cooperation deepens
New Zealand strengthened strategic cooperation on defence and maritime issues with the Philippines. A Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA) was signed by the Minister of Defence during her April 2025 visit to Manila. This Agreement provides key legal protections for New Zealand forces, establishing a legal framework for defence cooperation, including joint exercises.
India: a broad-based relationship
The Prime Minister’s March 2025 mission to India, marked a step-change in the New Zealand–India relationship, following over a year of sustained engagement. A broad set of political and economic outcomes were announced after leader level meetings. The launch of comprehensive FTA negotiations was amongst the key deliverables.
China: a mature and comprehensive relationship
The Prime Minister’s June 2025 mission to China followed earlier engagement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and reinforced high-level dialogue and New Zealand’s commitment to a mature and constructive relationship — one where areas of cooperation are pursued, and differences addressed consistently and respectfully. A Joint Statement of Outcomes was released, alongside 11 new agreements, and more than NZD$1 billion in business deals were announced.
Looking towards 2025–26
New Zealand has significantly lifted effort and engagement in Asia over the past year to enhance our security and prosperity. Budget 2025 has allocated new funding to further strengthen engagement with India and priority Southeast Asian partners, to reduce non-tariff barriers, and unlock greater value from existing and future trade agreements.
Case study: Prime Minister’s Mission to India
Broadening and deepening our relationship with India
The Government’s Foreign Policy Reset prioritises building a strong, broad-based, and sustainable relationship with India. An increasingly important power in the Indo-Pacific, the world’s fastest-growing major economy, and the country from which six percent of our population claim their heritage, India matters to New Zealand’s security, prosperity, and culture.
Since December 2023, the government has invested in a whole-of-government focus on the relationship. The Prime Minister’s mission to India in March 2025 was both an opportunity to highlight concrete steps taken by the Government to deepen ties, and to inject further momentum into a stronger, broad-based relationship delivering important outcomes for New Zealanders.
Travelling to New Delhi and Mumbai from 16–20 March, the Prime Minister led one of New Zealand’s largest ever overseas missions. Accompanied by the Tourism, Ethnic Communities, and Trade and Investment ministers, the Prime Minister’s delegation also included a former Governor General, four serving and two former Members of Parliament, four heads of agencies, the Chief of Navy, 40 business representatives, 19 community leaders, two New Zealand cricket legends, a 15-strong kapa haka group (Te Whānau-a-Apanui), and 16 media representatives.
Government relations
Reflecting the importance of developing relations at both state and national level, the delegation visited Mumbai and New Delhi. As well as productive engagements between the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi, the leaders released a Joint Statement reaffirming a shared commitment to strengthen the growing New Zealand–India relationship. Other high-level political engagements included meetings with India’s President, the External Affairs Minister, the President of Bharatiya Janata Party, the Leader of the Opposition, and meetings with the Governor and Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
The mission also provided a catalyst for concluding several Government-level arrangements, including on defence, education, horticulture, forestry, customs, and sport.
Economic opportunities
Accompanied by a 40-strong business delegation, identifying and capitalising on India’s economic opportunities was a core objective for the Prime Minister’s mission. India’s GDP growth rate is the fastest in the G20, and it is on track to become the world’s third-largest economy in the next few years. Despite this, India only accounts for 1.5 percent of New Zealand’s exports presently. An important step forward for expanding two-way trade and economic opportunities was taken when New Zealand and India launched comprehensive FTA negotiations on 16 March 2025. These negotiations provide a vehicle for a potential step change in the economic relationship, with their launch the culmination of 16 months of seniorlevel engagement across the relationship.
During the mission, 33 new business partnerships and commercial outcomes across trade, education, tourism, sport, and culture were also progressed, reflecting the breadth of growing businesses links between New Zealand and India. Among these commercial outcomes, Air New Zealand and Air India concluded a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a new code-share partnership on 16 routes between India, Australia, and New Zealand that will further strengthen people-to-people links.
Supporting stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific
Defence and security ties were a strong theme of the Prime Minister’s mission. India is a major geopolitical power and a significant global and regional security actor, and a growing partner for New Zealand’s efforts to build a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
The growing breadth of defence and security ties was highlighted through a new Defence Cooperation Arrangement; joining the India-led Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative on security and stability of the regional maritime areas; a visit by our Chief of Navy; and a port call by the HMNZS Te Kaha. In his inaugural address at the Raisina Dialogue, the Prime Minister emphasised that there was no prosperity without security.
People-to-people links
Participation of a senior community delegation added significant depth to the mission. This delegation played a central role in celebrating the contributions of New Zealand’s Indian diaspora, and the depth and history of people linkages between the two countries.
The representation of the champion kapa haka group, Te Whānau-a-Apanui, on the mission profiled our Māori culture and identity, and programme elements also highlighted the connections and opportunities in culture, education, tourism, and sport, and inclusive society.