WELLINGTON, June 22 (Xinhua) -- New Zealanders see Asia a high-priority region for engagement, according to a survey released on Friday.
Asia remains the second most important region to New Zealand's future after Australia, said the Asia New Zealand Foundation's Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples survey, now in its 27th year.
New Zealanders' interests in Asia are growing year-on-year, particularly among young New Zealanders, it said, adding that New Zealanders' knowledge of the region is also at an all-time high.
About 59 percent of New Zealanders say they feel reasonably knowledgeable about Asia, up from about 33 percent a decade ago, said Suzannah Jessep, chief executive of the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
About 75 percent of New Zealanders above 15 believe that having a strong relationship with Asia is important to New Zealand's future, according to the survey. ■