Māori cut-through unlocks success in China

Instinctive Māori approaches to engagement with China and its people have generated success for Māori and could hold the key to New Zealand continuing to stand out in a crowded Chinese market, according to new research commissioned by the New Zealand China Council Ko Te Kaunihera o Aotearoa me Haina.    

The Council’s report, Te hono a te ao Māori ki a Haina:  Māori approaches to engagement with China past, present, future surveys links between the two peoples, from the ancient migration of Polynesian ancestors from Asia to the arrival of Chinese migrants in Aotearoa New Zealand, pioneering connections with the People’s Republic of China, and today’s strong network of links centred on trade and tourism but also extending to sport, art, technology and medical research.  

Dr Jason Mika and Xiaoliang Niu at Ace Consulting authored the report, drawing on interviews with Māori and tauiwi (non-Māori) who have observed Māori engagement with China first-hand.  

They identify Māori culture and relationship management as an ‘x factor’ that has helped to open lucrative doors to the Chinese market.    

The report encourages Māori to continue using tikanga to strengthen economic ties with China and explore new opportunities in other areas.  

“Māori take a long-term approach to relationship building”, according to Dr Jason Mika.  “We prioritise the relational over the transactional.  Bonding over kai, shared respect for taonga like jade and pounamu, championing the sustainable values that underpin our produce – there are many aspects that advantage Māori when engaging with China.”  

“There’s a connection based on instinctive personal engagement that comes through when Māori organise trade missions, promote the unique provenance of our produce or present haka and waiata to Chinese visitors to Aotearoa” says Dr Mika.  

New Zealand China Council Chair John McKinnon, who as New Zealand’s former ambassador to China worked first-hand with many Māori delegations on the ground, says the report confirms anecdotal evidence that Māori quickly achieve connection and engagement in China.  

John McKinnon says this benefits not just Māori but New Zealand more widely.  “China is now a highly competitive and crowded market for global exporters.  Chinese consumers are avid shoppers who research in detail how items they purchase are produced, and what makes them unique.  Māori provenance contributes to New Zealand’s positive value proposition.”   

New Zealand Māori Tourism Chief Policy Advisor and New Zealand China Council member Richard Pollock sees a similar game-changing edge in the tourism sector.    

“Surveys suggest Māori culture is one of the top interests for Chinese visitors to Aotearoa” says Richard Pollock.  “Introduced appropriately by Māori, unique cultural experiences can shape lasting and positive perceptions of our country while also directly benefitting Māori tourism businesses and the wider tourism sector.”  

The report notes there are some worries amongst Māori exporters about overdependence on the Chinese market should New Zealand-China relations deteriorate; but concludes that the concern is often tempered by a nuanced disposition towards China.