As the first speaker, Dr Anthony Smith reviewed the varied perceptions that have formed New Zealand's policies towards Southeast Asia since the end of World War II. He also outlined the breadth and substance of the relationship between ASEAN and New Zealand in the contemporary context.

Dr Smith opened his analysis by noting the shifts in New Zealand's perception of Southeast Asia over the decades. From an initial “disinterest” in the aftermath of WWII, New Zealand began by the 1950s to view the region as a source of instability and concern, warranting its involvement in the Malayan Emergency, Confrontation, Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) and the Vietnam War. This position again altered by the mid-1970s and 80s as New Zealand began to appreciate the role of ASEAN in forging a “diplomatic community” providing greater stability and resilience to its constitutive members in the region. Dr Smith pointed out that by the 1990s — by which time Southeast Asia had convincingly demonstrated its commercial and strategic potential — New Zealand had come to perceive the region as an economic “opportunity”.

Anthony Smith next described the dimensions of the current relationship between ASEAN and New Zealand in terms of security, commercial and people-to-people ties. He pointed out that the New Zealand Foreign Ministry placed importance on ASEAN not only as a regional organization but also in terms of its individual member states. ASEAN's role in improving the security of Southeast Asia in fact reduced New Zealand's need to pay attention to the region. Thus, supporting ASEAN and its principles has been in the clear interests of New Zealand. Stronger ties between ASEAN and New Zealand are evident from the latter's interest in working as a “team player” with ASEAN and increased likelihood of New Zealand signing ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC).

Dr Smith argued that New Zealand and ASEAN shared concerns over a range of global issues and have collectively promoted rules based international behaviour. Efforts to strengthen international norms governing Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and common concerns over hostilities in South Asia, the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia exemplify this aspect of their relations.