The Australia-China Council (ACC) is a long-standing institution in the
Australia-China bilateral relationship. ACC was established by the
Government of Australia
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federalism, federal parliamentary system, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster system, Westminster-sty ...
in 1978 to promote mutual understanding and foster people-to-people relations between
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
. ACC combines the cross-sectoral bilateral expertise and advisory capacity of an independent Board appointed by the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between coun ...
with the policy-making and management base in the
Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade. By the time of the ACC's fortieth anniversary in 2018, it had "funded over 2,600 projects at a value of more than $23 million".
History
The concept of the Australia-China Council was borne out of discussions in 1975 between the first
Australian Ambassador to China, Dr
Stephen FitzGerald, and Jocelyn Chey who was a counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Beijing and later became the first head of the council's secretariat. On 11 May 1976, Dr Stephen FitzGerald wrote a letter to the then Foreign Affairs Minister,
Andrew Peacock
Andrew Sharp Peacock (13 February 193916 April 2021) was an Australian politician and diplomat. He served as a cabinet minister and went on to become leader of the Liberal Party on two occasions (1983–1985 and 1989–1990), leading the par ...
. He said:
This letter led to the establishment of the Australia-China Council in 1978 by the
Orders-In-Council
An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' ...
.
When FitzGerald returned to Australia, he convened a working group which presented a report to Peacock recommending the establishment of an advisory body which would make recommendations to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the ways to develop and strengthen relations with China and which, under ministerial supervision, administers funding to support programs which will advance the bilateral relationship. The council would have an independent board representing, on a rotating basis, all major sectors and stakeholder groups involved in
Australia-China relations. The board would be supported by a small
secretariat
Secretariat may refer to:
* Secretariat (administrative office)
* Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat (March 30, 1970 – October 4, 1989), also known as Big Red, was a champion American thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the ninth winne ...
in the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the department of the Australian federal government responsible for foreign policy and relations, international aid (using the branding Australian Aid), consular services and trade and inv ...
. The model has proved to be highly successful and effective and was later replicated with other bilateral foundations, councils and institutes in DFAT. This structure has remained largely unchanged to this day. Initially, sixteen council members were appointed under the chairmanship of Professor
Geoffrey Blainey
Geoffrey Norman Blainey (born 11 March 1930) is an Australian historian, academic, best selling author and commentator. He is noted for having written authoritative texts on the economic and social history of Australia, including '' The Tyranny ...
, former chairman of the Australia Council.
Board members
The Australia-China Council Chair's commitment, guidance and leadership has been invaluable in developing, furthering and maintaining the successful bilateral relationship that Australia and China hold today.
Current board members
*
Warwick Smith Chair - Chairman, Advisory Board Australian Capital Equity; Chairman, Senior Managing Director and Chairman for
Australia & New Zealand Banking Group
The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) is an Australian multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. It is Australia's second-largest bank by assets and fourth-largest bank by ma ...
(NSW & ACT)
*
Anne-Marie Schwirtlich
Anne-Marie Lucienne Schwirtlich , is an Australian librarian who was the Director-General of the National Library of Australia from 2011 to 2017. In 2015, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
Born in Bombay in India to a Fre ...
- Director General of the
National Library of Australia
The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...
* Margaret Jack - President of the China Advisory Board of
Adecco Group
The Adecco Group, is a Swiss-French company based in Zurich, Switzerland, and is the world's second largest Human Resources provider and temporary staffing firm, and a Fortune Global 500 company.
They directly employ 700,000 people a day, an ...
* Carolyn Kay - member of The
Future Fund
The Future Fund is an independently managed sovereign wealth fund established in 2006 to strengthen the Australian Government's long-term financial position by making provision for unfunded superannuation liabilities for politicians and other pu ...
Board of Guardians, a non-executive director of
Brambles
A bramble is any rough, tangled, prickly shrub, usually in the genus ''Rubus'', which grows blackberries, raspberries, or dewberries. "Bramble" is also used to describe other prickly shrubs, such as roses (''Rosa'' species). The fruits inclu ...
,
John Swire & Sons
Swire Group () is a Hong Kong- and London-based British conglomerate. Many of its core businesses can be found within the Asia Pacific region, where traditionally Swire's operations have centred on Hong Kong and mainland China. Within Asia ...
and
Scentre Group
Scentre Group Limited is a shopping centre company with retail destinations operating under the Westfield brand in Australia and New Zealand. The corporation undertakes ownership, development, design, construction, funds/asset management, proper ...
and an external Board Member of Allens Linklaters
* Michael Wesley - Dean College of Asia at the
Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...
and the Pacific
* Dan Ryan - a commercial and technology lawyer
* Harold Weldon - is a writer, publisher, filmmaker and China advisor
* Ex-officio member - deputy secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade responsible for North Asia; represents the department on the ACC Board
Former ACC chairs
*
Mark Wainwright: 2006–2011
*
John Yu
John Samuel Yu (; born 12 December 1934) is a Chinese-born Australian paediatrics doctor who served as CEO of the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children from 1979 until 1997. He was the Australian of the Year for 1996.
Early life and educatio ...
: 2000–2006
* Stuart Simson: 1997–2000
*
Stuart Harris: 1991–1996
* Hon.
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July 191621 October 2014) was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from 1972 to 1975. The longest-serving federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1967 to 1977, he was notable for being the he ...
: 1986–1991
* Professor
Wang Gungwu
Wang Gungwu, (; born 9 October 1930) is a Chinese-Singaporean historian, sinologist, and writer. He is a historian of China and Southeast Asia. He has studied and written about the Chinese diaspora, but he has objected to the use of the word ' ...
: 1983–1986
* Professor
Geoffrey Blainey
Geoffrey Norman Blainey (born 11 March 1930) is an Australian historian, academic, best selling author and commentator. He is noted for having written authoritative texts on the economic and social history of Australia, including '' The Tyranny ...
: 1978–1983
Strategic objectives
The council makes recommendations to the
Government of Australia
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federalism, federal parliamentary system, parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster system, Westminster-sty ...
through the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between coun ...
on strengthening the Australia-China relationship in ways that support Australia's foreign and trade policy interests.
The council's strategic objectives for 2014-18 are:
# To strengthen the foundations of engagement – China literacy, business and cultural capabilities of Australian institutions and people.
# To seek and foster new areas of engagement between Australia and China across business, knowledge and creative sectors.
# To enhance understanding in China of Australian society, economy, politics and culture through th
Australian Studies in ChinaProgram.
# To showcase Australian creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation in China.
# To generate, disseminate and make accessible high‑quality, relevant and up-to-date information about Australia-China relations.
# To facilitate dialogue, develop professional and institutional networks between Australia and China and harness the leadership of Australian communities in strengthening bilateral connectivity.
Grants program
ACC helps to kick-start a wide range of innovative, high‑impact projects across
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
,
Macau
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
that enhance Australia-China education, business and cultural connections. Its grant-making and program activities for 2014–2018 are centred on
education
Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...
, economic diplomacy,
arts
The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...
and
culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...
and underpinned by the three cross-cutting themes: mobility, capabilities and new areas of engagement.
Funding priorities
#Education: Support practical and effective solutions to enhance China literacy, business and cultural capabilities of Australian institutions and people to effectively engage with China, and promote education, science and innovation connectivity between Australia and China.
#
#Economic Diplomacy: Promote diversity, growth and innovation of Australia's trade and investment relationship with China.
#
#Arts and Culture: Showcase Australian arts and creative industries to Chinese audiences and build closer and broader cultural and artistic partnerships.
Cross-cutting themes
# Mobility: Encouraging greater and more diverse professional mobility between Australia and China, including through support of the
New Colombo Plan.
#
# Capabilities: Building capabilities of organisations and individuals to enter into partnerships and work effectively with their Chinese counterparts; and investing in resources (including new digital and mobile platforms) that inform Australian communities and relevant sectors about opportunities, practices and risks in engaging with China.
#
# New Areas of Engagement: Identifying and seeking practical solutions to develop new niche areas of engagement between the two countries.
Australian Studies in China Program
ACC has been supporting teaching and research on Australia in China for over two decades. ACC provides funding and information support to a network of over 30 Australian Studies Centres across China. The network is one of Australia's leading public diplomacy and education engagement platforms. The Australian Studies in China Program aims to build a vibrant, linked-up community of researchers, teachers and students participating in the study and research of Australian literature, economy, culture and other facets of Australian society. The Australian Studies Centres network is supported by the Australia-China Council, the Foundation for Australian Studies in China, the
Australian Embassy
Australian diplomatic missions are posts representing the Commonwealth of Australia in foreign countries. They are mostly maintained by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with some smaller posts being run by Austrade. There are cur ...
and Consulates-General in China, and the broader Australian education and business community.
BHP Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University
The BHP Chair of Australian Studies is an initiative of the Australia-China Council, the Foundation for Australian Studies in China,
BHP
BHP Group Limited (formerly known as BHP Billiton) is an Australian multinational mining, metals, natural gas petroleum public company that is headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The Broken Hill Proprietary Company was founded ...
and
Peking University
Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education.
Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charter ...
. The establishment of the chair was announced by the Prime Minister in April 2011 during the official visit to China. It is the first high-profile, privately funded Australian professorial position in China, and is a reflection of strong and multifaceted education engagement between the two countries. The chair also provides academic leadership to a network of more than 30 Australian studies centres in Chinese universities, which has been supported by the Australia-China Council for two decades. Professor
David Walker is the inaugural BHP Billiton Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University – he commenced in his role in 2013. In 2016 Professor Greg McCarthy (political scientist) became the new BHP Billiton Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University. Professor McCarthy also holds the Chair of Australian Politics at the University of Western Australia.
Foundation for Australian Studies in China
In 2011 ACC established th
Foundation for Australian Studies in China€“ a unique partnership between government, business and higher education sector, created to boost support for the Australian Studies in China through the BHP Billiton Chair of Australian Studies, scholarships and strategic projects. BHP Billiton Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University is an initiative of the ACC, Foundation for Australian Studies in China, BHP Billiton and Peking University. It is the first high-profile, privately funded Australian professorial position in China - a reflection of extensive academic engagement between the two countries.
Policy and advocacy
The Australia-China Council provides informed advice to the Australian Government in relation to public diplomacy strategies and Australia-China economic, cultural and education engagement. ACC runs a robust outreach and advocacy program with the aim to promote diversity, depth and strength of the bilateral relationship among its vast network of partners, grantees, alumni, supporters and friends and broad Australian community. ACC is increasingly active online as a provider of high-quality, relevant and up-to-date information about the Australia-China relationship. AC
‘Australia-China relations’web-space is one of the most comprehensive Australian resources on the bilateral relationship.
Australia-China Council Delegations to China
The Australia-China Council Board undertakes regular official visits to China. The visits focus on engagement with the Australian Studies Centres network, Chinese government, think-tanks, business, arts, media and education stakeholders. This gives the board the opportunity to gain first-hand insights into the current political and socioeconomic developments in China.
Australia-China Council Chair's address to the Australia in China's Century Conference
On 30 May 2014 the Chair of the Australia-China Council, Warwick Smith, delivered a major address at th
Australia in China's Century Conferencein Melbourne. Mr Smith spoke about the role of the Australia-China Council in the bilateral relationship and importance of institutions of 'soft power' in Australia's engagement with China and the Indo-Pacific region.
Submission to the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper
The Australia-China Council Board has made a comprehensive submission to th
ref> outlining the board's views on directions of Australia's engagement with China.
References
External links
Australia-China Councilwebsite.
Department of Foreign Affairs and Tradewebsite.
Foundation for Australian Studies in Chinawebsite.
{{Authority control
Australia–China relations
Organisations based in the Australian Capital Territory
Organizations established in 1978
1978 establishments in Australia