December 2022 is the fiftieth anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the Peoples Republic of China and New Zealand. This collection of 50 texts, written by diplomats and poets, politicians and academics, students and businesspeople, reflects on personal experiences of China over the last half century. It offers a unique insight into the changing face of what is now one of the worlds great powers, and our relationship with it. Contributors include Hone Tūwhare, Nina Mingya Powles, John McKinnon, James Ng, Alison Wong, Murray Edmond, Meng Foon and Pauline Keating.
Brian Moloughney was born in Blenheim but grew up mostly in Papatoetoe. After completing a Masters in Chinese history from the University of Canterbury, he had the good fortune to be awarded a CHEP scholarship, which enabled him to live and study for a period in Nanjing. He did a PhD in Chinese history at the Australian National University, and since 1993 has taught at the University of Otago, a position he retires from in 2022.