China conference aims to 'peel the banana'

Kai Luey. Photo / Richard Robinson.

Fear of a rapidly rising China and recent incidents involving tainted products have negatively affected how New Zealanders see the Chinese, and organisers of the annual Banana Conference hope this year's meeting will help to improve things.

"The image Kiwis have of the Chinese is not necessarily as good as we'd like it to be, and we're really hoping that this year's conference will help improve that or at least help better the understanding we have of China and the Chinese," said Kai Luey, chairman of the New Zealand Chinese Association Auckland.

The conference in July would dwell less on "identity issues" and more on the effects of the Chinese diaspora and the contributions of the Chinese around the world, including New Zealand, he said.

"Unlike how Kiwis see the Chinese, the Chinese in China actually have a very warm feeling about New Zealand, especially after the signing of the free-trade agreement.

"It will be to our loss, and it would be a waste of a valuable opportunity, if New Zealanders don't take advantage while we have a head start."

Elsewhere, the rapid rise of China has affected how Westerners see the Chinese, and even their loyalties have come under suspicion. A survey in the United States last week found 45 per cent of those interviewed thought Asian Americans were more loyal to their nations of origin than America.

Professor Frank Wu, who helped to lead that study, said the Americans with the most anxiety about China's rapidly growing economy were also the most concerned about Asian Americans. Last year, 13 out of 20 Chinese immigrant voters interviewed by the Herald also listed "loyalty to China"as the most important trait a Chinese MP in New Zealand must have.

"Like all immigrants, the very recent Chinese immigrants have a warm, fuzzy feeling about China because it is their place of birth and their home country, and it will be a matter of time before they get integrated," Mr Luey said.

"But those who are born in New Zealand have got a totally different attitude - our loyalty is to New Zealand, we are primarily Western people, which is also why we call ourselves 'bananas'."

The term 'banana' is used to describe someone who is yellow (Chinese) on the outside, but are predominantly Westerners, or white, inside.

With the theme "rising dragons, soaring bananas", this year's event, the fourth in the series, will for the first time be organised jointly between the New Zealand Chinese Association and the International Society for the Studies of Chinese Overseas.

At least 25 speakers will come from abroad, representing Chinese communities from countries such as Russia, Spain, Australia and Singapore.

Manying Ip, the society's Oceania director, said audiences would enjoy a rare chance to sample a multitude of international viewpoints on Chinese stories and identities.

CONFERENCE DETAILS
*What: Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas international conference.
*When: July 18 and 19, 2009.
*Where: The University of Auckland Business School.
*Info: goingbananas.org.nz