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China article in yeterday's Oz by former China Correspondent Rowan Callick that Andrew Hunter tweeted. The Festival of Australia has grown to be 40 events from May 20th in 10 of China's biggest cities and culminates with the AFL gala dinner the night before the Shanghai game and the Shanghai game is the final official event. The game has become the anchor event for the festival.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/bu...tory/f0a0553c3a0443a7b05505a19356f63d?login=1
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/bu...tory/f0a0553c3a0443a7b05505a19356f63d?login=1
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/bu...tory/f0a0553c3a0443a7b05505a19356f63d?login=1This week’s budget, like its predecessors for a decade, hinges on revenue expectations from China.
It follows useful steps taken by the government in the last few days to enhance that relationship. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has announced that the 40-event “Festival of Australia” to be held from May 20 in 10 of China’s biggest cities, focused on the commercial heartland. This followed news that the role of the Australia China Council (ACC) will be enhanced as it morphs into the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the new outfit would “harness efforts of the private sector, peak bodies, NGOs, cultural organisations, state and federal agencies and the Chinese-Australian community to turbocharge our national effort in engaging China”.
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The Trade Minister hopes to participate in the festival himself, depending on “the electoral gods”. It is being organised by Austrade, with involvement from the Australian chambers of commerce in China and Hong Kong, DFAT, state governments, the AFL, Wine Australia, Meat & Livestock Australia, and Horticulture Innovation. The events culminate in the third annual AFL match to be played in Shanghai, on June 2, between Port Adelaide, which has ploughed considerable effort into its Chinese initiative, and St Kilda.
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The organisers intend to extend the festival’s reach through an online campaign that will feature Chinese opinion leaders.It marks an evolution from the Australia Week that brought 1000 business people to China in 2014 and 2016, but which required renovation. Broadcaster David Koch, chair of Port Adelaide, said the festival was “an incredible vote of confidence for what Port Adelaide is doing in China. When we first played an official game in China in 2017, people were surprised even that was possible.” Now the annual match is to anchor the Festival of Australia. Koch said: “I couldn’t be prouder. I encourage all businesses with a focus on China, and all footy supporters, to be there. All roads lead to Shanghai. I can’t wait.”
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The festival will coincide with celebrations for Victoria’s 40th anniversary of its sister-state relationship with Jiangsu province, including a gala dinner in Nanjing. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is likely to participate, and go on to attend the AFL fixture in Shanghai. ..................The range of festival events include a showcase in Kunming involving film, photography and indigenous performance, a “breakfast of champions” consumer competition to be launched in Shanghai promoting breakfast products, an aged care education mission visiting three cities, the annual wine tasting roadshow, the launch of a campaign linking coffee with tourism, a Victorian “business of sport” delegation, the Australia-China Business Awards annual dinner to be held in Hong Kong, and an AFL gala dinner in Shanghai.
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Andrew Hunter, the general manager for China engagement at Port Adelaide, said: “The bilateral relationship between Australia and China traversed a difficult period, but is once again gathering positive momentum.” Hunter described the annual AFL match as “a bright star” in some awkward days, and identified the renewal of the relationship with the visit last May of the then Trade Minister Steve Ciobo to attend the game in Shanghai — the first time in eight months an Australian minister had been granted a visa...................
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