[citation needed] At the time, his father was a member of the farmer staff at Canterbury Agricultural College, and later served as the commissioner of Crown lands, Christchurch.
He went on the study at Victoria University College, graduating with a Master of Arts degree with second-class honours in 1957.
Watt observed that Hu was a potential future leader, later writing of him:[7]He was exceptionally well-briefed on New Zealand's involvement, very focused on taking practical steps to alleviate poverty and improve food supplies taking account of the minority nationality situation, and very interested in what New Zealand was doing and in the prospects for example for grassland development.
[8] In the book, Watt predicted that China would become New Zealand's largest export market by the early 21st century.
[12] During Watt's tenure, negotiations between the New Zealand government and Tokelauan customary leaders took place to develop a new constitution for Tokelau as a self-governing nation.