Taiwan and New Zealand
In 2018 the Indigenous Taiwan Aotearoa New Zealand Business Council (ITANZBC) took a delegation to Taiwan to find out more about the relationship between our two countries.
Here’s a bit more of what we learned.
ANZTEC
NZ has a free trade agreement with Taiwan. This is called the ANZTEC. Technically, it’s the “Agreement between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu on Economic Cooperation” and this is abbreviated to the ANZTEC.
It’s a comprehensive trade agreement designed to liberalise and facilitate trade in goods, services and investment between the two markets.
Indigenous Connection
Where it gets interesting for me is in relation to education and indigenous development.
The agreement is a long document. But one particular section stands out as unique. This is Chapter 19, which is titled “Cooperation on Indigenous Issues”
Chapter 19
Chapter 19 recognises the genetic link that connects the indigenous peoples of Taiwan with Māori in Aotearoa NZ. We’ve summarised that here. This is unique on a global level.
We’ve also highlighted the economic relationship that we have in NZ with Taiwan here if you want the background.
What I wanted to do next is outline about what Chapter 19 is for.
Objectives of Chapter 19 of ANZTEC
Here are the stated objectives from Chapter 19 of the ANZTEC agreement:
- Seek to enhance cultural and people-to-people contacts between the indigenous peoples in the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu and New Zealand’s Māori; and
- Expand and facilitate trade and economic relations between the indigenous peoples in the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu and New Zealand’s Māori.
The coordinating authorities responsible for the implementation of this are, according to Chapter 19 of the ANZTEC:
- for New Zealand: the Ministry of Māori Development (Te Puni Kōkiri); and
- for Chinese Taipei: the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP).
Here’s the rest of Chapter 19 in terms of the implementation. The two countries, through their coordinating authorities, shall:
- (a) hold at least one meeting each year for the planning of measures designed to enhance economic, cultural and people-to-people contacts between the indigenous peoples in the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu and New Zealand’s Māori;
- (b) promote and facilitate the exchange of experiences relating to indigenous peoples’ issues, including the following areas: economic and business development, tourism, natural resource development, artistic performances, agricultural production, culture, language promotion, education, human rights, land ownership issues, employment, social policy, biodiversity, sports and traditional medicine;
- (c) promote and facilitate the development of direct contacts with or between academic institutions, non-governmental organisations, local government bodies and tribal authorities, to support these endeavours;
- (d) promote indigenous personnel exchanges in academic, cultural and business exchanges through conferences on a rotation basis, including educators, cultural workers, language instructors, writers and artists, linguists, and ethnologists;
- (e) promote stronger relationships between Māori exporters and importers in the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu;
- (e) promote stronger relationships between Māori exporters and importers in the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu;
- (f) promote stronger relationships between indigenous exporters in the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu and New Zealand importers;
- (g) encourage stronger institutional relationships in tourism, including cooperation and exchange mechanisms, workshops, and internships with the participation of the public and private sectors.
- (h) advance exchanges in translation and the publication of indigenous research and literary works;
- (i) promote exchanges and relations between their indigenous peoples on broadcasting, including television and other media, licensing and the release of indigenous music recordings, films and multimedia productions in the context of Chapter 19 (Film and Television Co-Production); and
- (j) arrange funding for any exchanges facilitated under this Chapter on a case-by-case basis.