The pace of change has not eased since our last edition, but what is becoming clearer is how that change is beginning to take shape in policy, planning, and in the decisions leaders are now being asked to make.
Where last month we focused on the shift itself, this edition looks more closely at how it is being understood and responded to, both here and internationally. This month, senior leaders from business and government came together for Aspen NZ’s second Security Dialogue, continuing a conversation that is becoming more detailed and practical with each iteration. We also look outward to a global environment where economic strategy is increasingly tied to security, and where long standing assumptions about trade, technology, and cooperation are being tested.
Amid that complexity, New Zealand's newly signed Free Trade Agreement with India stands out as a significant development for our trade relationships and one we will look at more closely next month.
There are no simple answers, but there is a growing recognition that how we respond, and how we proactively work together, will shape what comes next.
Ngā mihi - Christine and the Aspen Institute NZ team
Ps. Aspen NZ Alumni youth - don't miss out on the amazing opportunity to travel to India and become a Global Changemaker, apply today!
Global Affairs
Aspen NZ Security Dialogue - From awareness to action
Building on February's Auckland Security Dialogue, last week's Wellington session moved the conversation from understanding New Zealand's security environment to responding to it. Senior leaders from business and government examined what the current landscape means in practical terms, from the pressures shaping New Zealand's key relationships, to the threats organisations face, and the trade-offs leaders now need to navigate. As NZSIS Director-General Andrew Hampton put it: "What we need now is to see more security conversations move from the back office to the board table."
The discussion didn't shy away from what New Zealand can and cannot control, and the implications for leaders across business, government and the community. Read more here.
Critical Conversations
China's next move
Much of the recent conversation around global trade has focused on disruption from the conflict in Iran, while the signals emerging from China, New Zealand's largest trading partner, are less visible. A recent national planning meeting in Beijing - largely overlooked in Western coverage - pointed to a more deliberate, security-oriented economic direction, where resilience and control sit alongside growth. This direction is becoming tangible with new regulations giving authorities expanded powers to scrutinise foreign companies that shift supply chains away from China, with potential consequences for both firms and their executives.
As highlighted in recent Aspen discussions across the network, economic policy is increasingly shaped by strategic considerations. China’s approach reflects this shift, and suggests a global system evolving gradually but decisively, which carries particular weight for New Zealand, given how central our major trade relationships are to our economic future.
Connected Communities
Global Changemakers 2026 Scholarship: Decision making in an age of AI
Scholarship applications are now open for the 2026 Global Changemakers Workshop - an opportunity for emerging leaders across the Aspen International Partners network to come together to address critical challenges. Hosted in India by the Ananta Aspen Centre, this year’s programme will explore decision making in an age shaped by artificial intelligence, and the implications for governance, democracy, and global stability.
Building on previous workshops in Berlin, Warsaw, and Bogotá, the programme brings together a small, international cohort for seminar dialogue, policy roundtables, and shared experience. We encourage applications from Aspen NZ alumni and our wider network of young leaders. Full details, criteria and application form available here.
Coming Up - Local
Global Affairs
National Security Dialogues -
Sector Roundtables
Aspen NZ's National Security Dialogues bring senior business and government leaders together in a series of private, sector-focused roundtables to examine how geopolitical change, technological disruption and shifting trade dynamics are reshaping the industries that are crucial for New Zealand's prosperity. Sessions will be delivered in partnership with sector sponsors, between June and September 2026. If you are interested in taking part or supporting a dialogue, we are currently taking expressions of interest.
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