‘Asia N.Z.’s target’

Press, 21 April 1979, Page 19

‘Asia N.Z.’s target’

PA Hamilton The South-East Asian market potential is great enough for New Zealand to double its exports to the area in 10 years, according to the Minister for Overseas Trade (Mr Taiboys). In the last six months South-East Asia had taken 27 per cent of New Zealand’s exports, only slightly less than the whole of Western Europe, he told a Rotary dinner. “What is required is a certain jolting of our attitudes. Six million hands make light work.” Investment and aid to South-East. Asian countries

in agriculture and industry could play a significart role in developing foreign markets, Mr Talboys said. japan had given a lead and New Zealand could learn a lesson from the benefits received from financial and technological investment in the area. Such investmentstment create new jobs, products, and skills for New Zealand. he said. “We are coming to accept the fact that New Zealand is in the South Pacific and in the real sense that is where we belong.” Mr Taiboys cited

China’s modernisation programme and South Korea’s industrial expansion as examples of how fast those countries were catching the Western countries economically. New industrial giants such as Japan had emerged in a very short time and many newly developing South-East Asian countries were now self-sustaining, he said. By the turn qf the century two-thirds of the world population would be living in Asia, South America, and Africa. Mr Taiboys said those were the areas wh ! " 1 ' -’-or’-i bring most benefits to