Reports of racial disharmony should not deter would-be migrants to New Zealand, said MP and former Hong Kong resident Pansy Wong Tsui Yu-fong.
'The diversity of opinions may give the impression of total racial disharmony in New Zealand, yet without these types of debates it is not possible for a nation to mature and understand each other,' Mrs Wong said.
The first ethnic Chinese New Zealand MP, Mrs Wong welcomed the recent relaxation in her country's immigration policy and hoped more concessions would soon be forthcoming for business migrants.
But she told the New Zealand-Hong Kong Business Association that Chinese migrants seeking 'a fair go in New Zealand society' needed to integrate more fully in areas outside business.
'I think for a long time many Chinese New Zealanders have taken a very passive role in terms of social activities,' she said.