Hiwi Tauroa
Hiwi Tauroa, first became involved with the The Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries when invited by Jack Ewen, the then President of the New Zealand China Friendship Society, to travel to China as a member of their Important Personages of New Zealand group in 1981. At a subsequent meeting with Rewi Alley, it was agreed that Hiwi should begin facilitating Maori Friendship Delegation exchanges with CPAFFC.

With the support of the New Zealand China Friendship Society, the exchanges were begun in 1984 and, in 2004, will celebrate 20 years. Today, the New Zealand China Maori Friendship Charitable Trust (Chin-Mao) is the culmination of Hiwi's desire to have an officially recognised body that is able to promote, for the benefit of all peoples of Aotearoa, exchanges that are based first & foremost on developing a friendship between cultures.

The Friendship exchanges are bi-annual, in general, and are by invitation to all who work for Maori and have a desire to see China. Chin-Mao, through the efforts of Hiwi and wife Pat, is able to offer special insights into China as it has developed the necessary trust that only a friendship has. Recognition of this friendship was recently rewarded when Hiwi was awarded the title of Honorary Friendship Ambassador to China by CPAFFC.

The reciprocal nature of these exchanges allows Chin-Mao to 'show off' New Zealand to the Chinese in a way that is uniquely New Zealand e.g. as part of their travel here, the Chinese get to be guests on a Marae for a day or two and are also billetted by New Zealand families in preference to staying in hotels. Tasting of kanga pirau (the Maori delicacy, fermented corn) also has it's own unique results!

Chin-Mao has been involved in projects between New Zealand & China, of significant note being the establishment of the Whare Whakairo, He Pakiaka. This room is an integral part of New Zealand's embassy in China, which is based in Beijing, and provides all 'Kiwi' who travel to China with a 'papakainga' - a place that is home.

Chin-Mao has now evolved, to not only promote friendship, but also wider cultural understandings and the establishment of business contacts.