Peters' mission to entice Chinese students

Winston Peters

Winston Peters is today expected to try to woo more Chinese students to New Zealand, in stark contrast to the public perception that he is opposed to Asian immigration.

In his first major assignment since becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Peters - known for his tough anti-immigration stance - will hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing at the Apec meeting in Pusan, South Korea.

Mr Peters told the NZ Press Association he would discuss the decline in the number of Chinese students coming to New Zealand.

The move has been welcomed by Prime Minister Helen Clark, who said anything Mr Peters could do to advance the matter would be "much appreciated".

Mr Peters, the leader of New Zealand First, has often attracted attention in Asia for his sometimes hardline comments about immigration.

This year he said: "We have now reached the point where you wander down Queen St in Auckland and wonder if you are still in New Zealand or some other country."

Last year he said New Zealand was being dragged into the status of an "Asian colony" and in 2002 said "Asianisation by stealth" was occurring in New Zealand.

But Mr Peters says his stance has been misconstrued and he has become increasingly concerned at the drop in the number of Asian students and has actually helped broker deals to bring more Chinese students to New Zealand.

In the past four years the export education industry, which is worth about $2.2 billion each year, has seen a sharp decline in student numbers.

Education New Zealand says that in 2003 there were more than 50,000 Chinese students and today there are about 30,000.

Mr Peters told the NZPA he believed New Zealand could "do better" in the export education industry.

He said part of the deals he brokered to bring Chinese students to New Zealand was that they would return home when their study was finished, but New Zealand had fallen down on this part of the bargain.

He also said the failure of English language schools in New Zealand might have been the fault of the businesses, but the Chinese would have seen this differently.

"A country like China sees that as a governmental obligation, not purely just an industry obligation."

Education New Zealand's communications director, Stuart Boag, said some of Mr Peters' comments had been picked up in China, but the organisation was "extremely pleased" he was taking an interest in promoting export education.

Winston Peters on Asian migration

* Something is happening to the demography of our country. Who asked you whether you wanted to Asianise New Zealand by a Napier or a Nelson each year? - 2002

* Asianisation by stealth - 2002

* We have now reached the point where you wander down Queen St in Auckland and wonder if you are still in New Zealand or some other country. - 2005