Our History

Our History

Chin-Māo owes its origins to a meeting in Beijing in 1981 between Hiwi Tauroa, New Zealand’s then Race Relations Conciliator, and Rewi Alley, a teacher, writer and champion of China’s social reform.


At that meeting the idea was discussed to establish a China Māori Friendship organisation whose purpose would be to build relationships between Māori and the people of China.

The CPAFFC supported this idea and three years later, in 1984, the first Māori friendship delegation was hosted in China by CPAFFC. Thus began the reciprocal friendship delegations between Māori and Chinese.

A result of that first delegation was the establishment of the Whare Whakairo, He Pakiaka. This room is an integral part of the New Zealand Embassy in China, which is based in Beijing, and provides all 'Kiwi' who travel to China with a 'papakainga' - a place that is home.

It also provides any Chinese guests to the embassy an introduction to Māori culture.
Our vision is always –
• To make new friends,
• To nurture existing friendships and
• To open the doors to cultural and economic opportunity between Māori and the people of China.


Read About Our Aim

References