Guyon Espiner

Just a lot of quiet graft, really.

Getting close to people, gaining their trust.

This is the point where if you were going to turn this into a Hollywood movie you'd need that montage scene, you know, months of cocktail parties, polite laughter, dry white wine and the constant exchange of business cards.

Over time, Kit Bennett's was able to work on those contacts, the Soviets and the East Europeans.

He got in touch with a company that, for obvious reasons, didn't have representatives in Southeast Asia.

Who was paying that?

Who was paying for it?

Where's the money coming in?

By going into Asia, Kit Bennett knows he's moving out of New Zealand's direct sphere of influence, but he's told that this is work for the Alliance, and that's important for New Zealand.

That's what led you to Manila, was it?

Now, it's worth remembering the stakes involved here.

Kit Bennett is going to be working undeclared as a NOC, and he's going to be doing it a very long way from home.

Here's Tim Weiner from The New York Times again.

Your family friend?

Yeah, this is really interesting.

Kit Bennett says Western media played a part in winning hearts and minds.

Yeah, it's really interesting.

The things we, I guess, take for granted.

I mean, the media have never been perfect.

They aren't now, they weren't then.