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Ms Jill Collins
Australian Consul-General in Guangzhou
Speech at Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU)
Guangzhou, 18 December 2012
[OPENING SLIDE] I’d like to thank Sun Yat-sen
University for inviting me to speak, and in particular
Professor Yu Changsen from the Australian Studies
Centre. Professor Yu is also a key member of the
Centre for Oceanian Studies, and I was pleased to
take part in the opening of that Centre a few months
ago.
I’m particularly delighted to see so many young
university students here today. I know that many of
you are studying a subject called “Australian Foreign
Policy” as part of your curriculum. And many of you
have a wider interest in Australia.
Over the past few months in Guangzhou, I have
been greatly impressed by the number of Chinese
people I have met with a connection to Australia –
from Guangdong, from the inland provinces of
Hunan and Yunnan, and from the coastal provinces
of Hainan, Fujian and Guangxi.
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Almost everywhere I go, people from varied
professions and backgrounds tell me they’ve
holidayed in Australia, they’ve done business there,
their children have studied there, or their
neighbours have migrated there.
And I’ve come to the logical conclusion, that
Australia has a particularly strong connection with
the people in this part of China. And thanks to the
depth and breadth of the south China diaspora
across the Australian states, Australia has a very
positive profile here.
You will already know the history. The first Chinese
miners to travel to Australia during the Gold Rush of
the mid-1800s were Cantonese. And today, south
China keeps setting the pace in its engagement with
Australia.
Of the 100,000 or so Chinese students currently
studying in Australia, more come from Guangdong
than from any other province. Guangdong
accounted for a significant number of the 542,000
Chinese tourists who went to Australia last year.
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Australian governments, businesses, universities
and cultural institutions are turning their attention
increasingly to south China.
About 14.5 percent of our total bilateral
merchandise trade with China, worth USD13.5
billion, is with this province. The Australian
Government is working with Guangdong Provincial
Government towards an economic agreement that
would be the first of its kind between the Federal
Government and a provincial-level administration.
In September, Victoria’s Premier led Australia’s
single largest ever trade mission to China, a
delegation of over 600 businesspeople, concluding in
Dongguan.
Back in 1979, New South Wales led the way as
Guangdong’s first-ever sister state, and today there
are over 30 Australian sister-state and sister-city
relationships across southern China.
And earlier this year, Sydney Symphony Orchestra,
Australia’s most well-known orchestra, chose
Guangzhou as the hub for its ambitious China
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strategy, bringing a wealth of music education and
training opportunities to the south China region.
[SLIDE – BDAY] In 1992, Australia was one of the
first countries to establish a Consulate here and last
week, we celebrated the 20th birthday of the
Australian Consulate in Guangzhou, a significant
milestone. It coincided with a visit to Guangzhou by
Australia’s Minister for the Arts and Regional
Development. Over the past two years, we have seen
a significant increase in the number of senior-level
ministerial visits to south China, demonstrating the
importance which the Australian Government places
on this region.
Over the past two decades, Australia’s presence in
south China has gone from strength to strength,
growing to become one of the largest foreign
missions in Guangdong.
Later this week, we will mark the 40th anniversary of
the beginning of Australia-China relations in 1972.
Over recent weeks, we’ve run a series of celebratory
activities to mark these two anniversaries - it’s not
often we get to celebrate a 双生日(“Double Birthday”!)
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Now as students of foreign policy, you will have
observed that the topic for my talk today is
‘Australia in the Asian Century’. It’s a timely
opportunity to introduce to you the Australian
Government’s White Paper on ‘Australia in the Asian
Century’ – which has a significant focus on China.
As you leave, please take away a copy of the
Executive Summary in Chinese – essential reading
for any student of Australian policy.
I’ll share with you some information about the White
Paper, because it’s a very important part of the
Australian Government’s policy framework. But
today, I don't only want to talk to you about our
policy framework. I also want to highlight the
practical, personal dimensions that reinforce our
Asian Century strategy. To underline the
importance of people in the Australia-China
relationship. By sharing with you my own ‘Asian
Century’ story, to highlight that people are at the
foundation of the Australia-China relationship. And
they will continue to be into the future.
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Since we’re at a university today, this is also a good
opportunity to emphasise the role of education.
Education has played a very important role in my
journey towards a career in Australia-China
relations. No matter what your field of interest, you
too can utilise your educational opportunities to
create an Australia-China story, and be a part of our
thriving people-to-people relationship.
[SLIDE – PRIMARY SCHOOL] I grew up in Melbourne
in the late 1960s. I went to a typical primary school
and you can recognise me in school photos as the
shortest one with glasses. Well, nothing’s changed!
Until I started secondary school in 1980, I had no
connection whatsoever with China.
I was fortunate to be offered two high school
scholarships – one to a school that taught European
languages, and another teaching Mandarin – my
parents chose the latter because it was walking
distance. They could not have known how
profoundly this choice would change the course of
my adult life.
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[SLIDE – HIGH SCHOOL] Very few Australian
schools offered Mandarin at that time, which was an
experimental phase in Asian foreign language
teaching. While most of my classmates were busy
carving Chinese characters into their desks so they
could cheat during tests, I spent six enjoyable years
learning the basics of Chinese language and culture.
One of my teachers was a martial arts enthusiast,
and insisted we watch Cantonese Bruce Lee movies
dubbed into Mandarin. When I look back, this was
a very good lesson in cultural immersion!
Through these years, I had no intention of pursuing
a career related to China – the thought never
entered my head, and nor did my teachers suggest it.
But little did I know, I was setting the course for my
own engagement with Asia in its coming century of
economic, strategic and social transformation.
While at university I studied Economics, and took
up Mandarin again, but purely for fun. Still, I could
not see many segues between the two in career
terms.
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Looking back, this is not surprising, given the
comparatively low profile of the bilateral relationship
when I started my university degree in 1986.
Australia’s trade with China today is about 60 times
what it was when I started university that year. In
the same year, Australia and China were still only
negotiating the very first commercial deal in the
resources sector, China’s first overseas mining
project - the Mount Channar iron ore mine.
Also in 1986, Australia started accepting its first feepaying Chinese students into tertiary English
language intensive courses and several thousand
came across to study the following year. Later, I
worked alongside some of them in part-time jobs in
cafes around Melbourne.
[SLIDE - TRAVEL] Thanks to scholarships offered by
my university, I spent some months studying
Chinese in Nanjing. In fact, Guangzhou was the
first mainland Chinese city I ever set foot in, 25
years ago, on my way to the east coast.
It was the first of my many visits to the City of Rams.
我跟广州有缘分!
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It was during this trip to China that I met my first
Australian diplomat – a young Vice Consul at the
Australian Consulate in Shanghai, which had not
long been open. He talked about his life and work in
China. This first ‘brush’ with diplomacy opened my
eyes to new possibilities – but I imagined such a
career to be ‘unreachable’.
But then, I graduated. And that’s where my real
Australia-China story began.
In 1990, after years of sweeping economic reforms,
Australia fell into one of its worst-ever economic
recessions. As a graduate looking for a dream job,
my career choices looked grim. Companies were not
hiring. Many of my friends took dead-end jobs.
[SLIDE] In November 1990, Australia’s then Prime
Minister, Paul Keating, made the famous public
statement that this was “the recession we had to
have”. These words, controversial at the time, were
a catalyst for my decision to return to China – this
time to Xi’an - for further education.
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At the time, pursuing more study seemed a secondbest option. But in hindsight, my educational
choices were steering me in a new and exciting
direction.
To ride out the economic recession, I spent a long
period of time in China, immersing myself in the
culture and its people. I improved my language
skills, made long-lasting friendships, and met my
future husband. We recently celebrated our 20th
wedding anniversary – our marriage pre-dates the
opening of the Australian Consulate in Guangzhou
by just a few months.
Being ‘Asia-literate’ has had other benefits, including
for my children who through their own cultural
immersion are well placed to become future ‘bridges’
between Australia and China. So, I have a lot to
thank Paul Keating for!
[SLIDE – JACKIE CHAN] My education experiences
in China set me on a course towards a professional
career focused on Asia, particularly China. And
more than half my diplomatic career to date has
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been spent working in China or on China-related
issues.
Education and cross-cultural experiences can help
us to work more effectively in an international
environment. Being equipped with common
languages, and understanding of each other’s
cultures, helps us to build rapport and forge
relationships of greater depth and mutual benefit.
The personal choices we make can influence our
ability to shape our destiny and our relationships.
And the same applies to our relationships as nations.
White Paper
[SLIDE – WHITE PAPER] Which brings me back to
the White Paper, ‘Australia in the Asian Century’.
The White Paper calls on the Australian people to
make choices, to maximise the benefits and
opportunities for Australia resulting from Asia’s rise,
in five crucial areas:
First, the White Paper offers us the choice to
embrace ongoing reform and innovation to reinforce
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our economy and society – it’s about thinking
outside the box and taking a leap of faith.
Second, it encourages us to make educational
choices that develop our capabilities and skills and
understanding of Asian cultures and languages.
Third, it points to choices in our commercial
relationships, and encourages Australian companies
and institutions to develop new business models
and mindsets to connect with Asian markets.
Fourth, it recognises the choices we have in
cooperating with other nations to contribute to
regional stability and security, including through
supporting China’s participation in regional
developments.
Fifth, it clarifies that every individual has the choice
to deepen our social and cultural relationships at
the people-to-people level – getting to know our
neighbours better.
The White Paper’s aim is to set a clear plan for
Australia’s future position in Asia, identifying the
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opportunities and challenges that may arise in this
region in the years ahead.
It is not prescriptive, but intended as a “roadmap”
for the whole of Australia – governments, business,
educational institutions, unions and the broader
community. It focuses not only on politics and
economy, but on social and cultural links.
It isn’t a new strategy. Australia has a long history
of engagement with Asia and our future is
increasingly interwoven with the continued
prosperity, sustainability and stability of the Asian
region. But by 2025, for example, our trade links
with Asia will be at least one-third of GDP, up from a
quarter in 2011. We need to strengthen these deep
and broad relationships, especially with key nations
such as China. We welcome China’s participation in
the region’s strategic, economic and political
environment.
What are some of the practical suggestions of the
White Paper? Well, it affirms that Australia will
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refocus its efforts on reform and change in a range
of areas, including:
 more integrated and easier flow of capital across
borders for investment, innovation and jobs
growth;
 expanding our diplomatic footprint in the region,
including through eventual establishment of an
Australian Consulate in Shenyang – and you may
already know that a new Australian Consulate will
open in Chengdu next year;
 broader and deeper regional value chains, creating
opportunities for both small and large businesses,
and Asia-capable leaders across our businesses
and workplaces;
 more Asian language and cultural education in
our schools, including access to Mandarin and
other priority languages and expanding sisterschool networks across Asia; and
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 better information flows and connections to Asian
markets through the National Broadband Network.
In many ways, Australia’s relationship with
Guangdong is an exemplar of the approach at the
core of the White Paper. Australia and Guangdong
share a close relationship covering business, culture
and people-to-people links.
[SLIDE – LANTERNS] In the years ahead, the
strengthening of the Australia-China relationship
will lead to many more such choices and
opportunities for young people like you – whether
Chinese or Australian.
The more prepared Australia is in recognising and
responding to these opportunities when they arise,
the better these choices are likely to be.
So, what are some of the key sectors identified by
the White Paper, that may provide such
opportunities for you and your Australian peers?
First, in mining and resources – where China’s
continued economic development will drive
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demand for Australian energy and mineral
resources.
Second, in tourism, sport, education, creative
industries, financial services, and science – all
of which will be spurred by growing affluence in
China.
Third, in agriculture – and the opportunity for
Australia to work with China to meet rising food
demands.
o Our two governments are already working
towards a joint study on agricultural
technology and investment;
We encourage further investment and
technological innovation by Chinese
companies in our agribusiness sector to
boost output and research.
Fourth, in environmentally sustainable growth,
natural resource management, infrastructure
development, urban design and health and aged
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care – as our two countries leverage their expertise
to do business with each other.
And just as China has a lot to offer us, we have a lot
to offer China.
Australia has one of the strongest economies in the
world, with 21 consecutive years of growth.
Australia’s public finances are among the strongest
globally. Government debt is low. Financial
institutions are sound and we have the highest
possible sovereign debt credit rating. We have a
multicultural, highly skilled and creative population
with demonstrated capabilities in innovation. We
have vast natural resources and the know-how and
technologies to development them.
The focus of the White Paper of Australia in the
Asian Century is to build on these strengths, grasp
at any underutilised potential and shape our future,
providing better opportunities for all.
[LAST SLIDE] This job will be challenging. It will
need sustained effort. We cannot build stronger
relationships or learn new skills overnight. But it is
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a challenge that we embrace. In the Asian Century,
Australia’s policies towards China will continue to be
constructive, forward-looking and informed by a
sense of optimism about our positive role in the
region.
As this region rises in prominence, and as our links
grow closer, all of you here today have an important
role to play.
Your international experience, cultural knowledge
and adaptability will be central to the opportunities
open to you as the leaders, scholars and innovators
of tomorrow.
Thank you.