“Dragons in the Land of the Long White Cloud”: The Factor of Chinese Diaspora in New Zealand (An Essay on Interaction in a Multicultural Society)

The article dwells on the factor of Chinese diaspora in New Zealand. It makes the review of the key Russian and foreign studies on the issue. The artlicle also reflects the historical background of Chinese immigration to New Zealand and specifies the formation of Chinese diaspora. The article highlights tendencies of Chinese activity in New Zealand in the late 20 th – early 21 st centuries. The peculiarities of embedding Chinese migrants in the multicultural New Zealand’s society and the specifics of their interaction with indigenous Maori are shown. The article finds that there is a conflict between the Chinese, acting as an “intermediary minority”, and different parts of the host society. This conflict is caused by both economic differences and the factor of cultural identity. This article examines the debate about Chinese influence, which is an important component of New Zealand’s domestic and foreign policy. The debate about Chinese influence through immigrants and the diaspora influences the positions of New Zealand political parties. In their election rhetoric, political forces often resort to populism and play the “China card” using the discourse of Chinese influence on the state’s domestic and foreign policy. As a small state, New Zealand is interested in trade and investment preferences in its relations with China, as well as in the formation of security guarantees while maintaining a soft non-aligned status.