China and the World in 2024
John McKinnon, Chair of the New Zealand China Business Council
Thursday, 8 February 2024 2:00pm
Hawke's Bay
Havelock North Club, 4 Campbell Street
Our first meeting will be on Thursday afternoon 8 February, and our speaker will be John McKinnon, currently Chair of the New Zealand China Business Council. John served twice as NZ Ambassador to China, and is also a former Secretary of Defence. He will speak on China and the World in 2024.
John was educated in New Zealand at Nelson College and at Victoria University of Wellington, and in the United Kingdom at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He joined the then Ministry of Foreign Affairs in New Zealand in May 1974. In 1975 he was sent to Hong Kong to undertake two years of Chinese language training, following which he was assigned to the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing as second secretary.
His subsequent overseas assignments with the New Zealand foreign service were in Washington, Canberra and New York (this last in the 1990s when New Zealand was serving a term on the United Nations Security Council). John McKinnon was the Director of the External Assessments Bureau in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from 1995 to 2000.
John served twice as New Zealand ambassador to China and Mongolia, the first time from 2001 to 2004; the second time from 2015 to 2018. In between these two postings he was successively a senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Secretary of Defence, and Executive Director of the Asia New Zealand Foundation. John McKinnon is now a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Strategic Studies, Victoria University.
Our meeting attendance cost ($6) has not changed for some years, but unfortunately must rise this year to $8, to meet the increased room hire and catering costs levied by the Havelock North Club. As usual, please pay this sum in cash as you enter the meeting room.
Our first meeting will be on Thursday afternoon 8 February, and our speaker will be John McKinnon, currently Chair of the New Zealand China Business Council. John served twice as NZ Ambassador to China, and is also a former Secretary of Defence. He will speak on China and the World in 2024.
John was educated in New Zealand at Nelson College and at Victoria University of Wellington, and in the United Kingdom at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He joined the then Ministry of Foreign Affairs in New Zealand in May 1974. In 1975 he was sent to Hong Kong to undertake two years of Chinese language training, following which he was assigned to the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing as second secretary.
His subsequent overseas assignments with the New Zealand foreign service were in Washington, Canberra and New York (this last in the 1990s when New Zealand was serving a term on the United Nations Security Council). John McKinnon was the Director of the External Assessments Bureau in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from 1995 to 2000.
John served twice as New Zealand ambassador to China and Mongolia, the first time from 2001 to 2004; the second time from 2015 to 2018. In between these two postings he was successively a senior official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Secretary of Defence, and Executive Director of the Asia New Zealand Foundation. John McKinnon is now a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Strategic Studies, Victoria University.
Our meeting attendance cost ($6) has not changed for some years, but unfortunately must rise this year to $8, to meet the increased room hire and catering costs levied by the Havelock North Club. As usual, please pay this sum in cash as you enter the meeting room.
Membership
NZIIA membership is open to anyone interested in understanding the importance of global affairs to the political and economic well-being of New Zealand.