China and the West

Re-orienting Australia-China relations : 1972 to the present. Ed. by Nicholas Thomas : Chronology 2 : 2000-2002
2000
12 February A NPC delegation arrived in Australia for a goodwill visit. The delegation was led by Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Zhou Guangzhao.
20-24 February Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Andrew Metcalfe visited China.
10 March In and Out Exhibition: Contemporary Chinese Art from China and Australia opened in Beijing.
9-11 March Taiwanese Vice-Minister, Wu Tzu-dan, visited Australia. During his visit, Wu made a speech at Parliament House in Canberra on the bilateral relationship.
Late March Politburo member Zeng Qinghong visited Australia.
5-8 April Western Australian Premier Richard Court and Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Denis Burke led a delegation of senior government and industry representatives to lobby the Chinese government over its planned LNG contract. During his visit, the Premier also opened an exhibition in Shenzhen highlighting Western Australia as a study destination for Chinese students. The exhibition coincided with the appointment in Shenzhen of a representative of the Western Australian International Education Marketing Group, which represented 18 institutions from the public and private education and training sectors.
13 April-4 May “Surface Tensions”, an exhibition by Australian artist Ian Howard, was held at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.
20-27 April Defence Chief Admiral Chris Barrie led a delegation to China to hold talks with senior Chinese officers and officials. The group also visited Chinese military establishments around the country during the trip.
23 April Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan met with Foreign Minister Alexander Downer in Beijing, while the latter was attending the 2000 Asia Leaders’ Forum and the Asia-Australia Institute Council Meeting.
30 April-2 May Former Prime Minister Paul Keating visited Beijing to attend the CMG Asia’s Advisory Board meeting. During the visit he met Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan.
4-10 May Taiwanese cultural delegation visited Australia. The group was led by Ms. Celia Hong, President of the National Culture and Arts Foundation.
11-15 May 15 directors of the Taiwanese Democratic Progressive Party arrived in Australia for a series of ‘Track Two’ talks.
11-17 May Minister for the Environment and Heritage Robert Hill visited Beijing and Xian.
17-18 May Minister for Trade Mark Vaile visited Guangzhou for commercial promotions. He met Guangdong Vice Governor Wang Qishan, who became Acting Mayor of Beijing in April 2003.
18-24 May Minister for Trade Mark Vaile led a delegation, including 74 business leaders, to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, Beijing and Kunming to meet with high-level trade and government officials and business counterparts. During the visit the Minister signed the WTO accession document with Chinese Trade Minister Shi Guangsheng. Minister for the Environment and Heritage Robert Hill accompanied the delegation to Hong Kong.
Late May Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Garry Nehl visited Tibet to review local social and economic progress.
15-16 August DFAT Secretary Ashton Calvert and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi jointly chaired the 14th political consultation meeting between the foreign ministries in Canberra. On the morning of 16th August, Yang Jiechi also held the 4th Sino-Australian human rights dialogue with DFAT Deputy Secretary Miles Kupa.
31 August Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian met with visiting Brisbane Lord Mayor Jim Soorley in Taipei.
1 September A high-level Chinese delegation, led by Executive Vice Chairman, Wang Chun Zheng, arrived in Sydney to discuss financial sector reforms.
4-7 September Former Prime Minister Paul Keating visited Beijing to lobby for the introduction of housing mortgage securitisation in China. During the visit he met Vice Premier Wen Jiabao.
8 September It was announced that Australia had denied an entry visa to Taiwan cabinet member Chang Fu-mei.
12-20 September Secretary of the Department of Family and Community Services Dr Rosalky visited China.
13-18 September Hong Kong Chief Secretary Anson Chan led a delegation to Australia, to promote Hong Kong as a destination during the 2000 Olympics.
Late October Former Prime Minister Mr Bob Hawke visited China and attended the inaugural Western Forum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The Forum was an annual event attended by senior Chinese Government officials and invited overseas VIP guests to promote development of western China.
29-30 October DFAT Deputy Secretary Alan Thomas visited Beijing and co-chaired with Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Sun Zhenyu, the JMEC Intersessional meeting in Beijing.
Early November Two military delegations, led by Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Xiong Guangkai, and Deputy Director of PLA General Political Department, General Yuan Shoufang, (respectively) visited Australia to discuss regional security concerns.
7-9 November Premier of NSW Bob Carr visited Beijing. He met Beijing Mayor, Liu Qi, and CPC Secretary, Jia Qinglin.
10-19 November ACT Chief Minister Kate Carnell visited China to improve ties and opportunities across the areas of tourism, education, environmental technology and high-technology projects. The latter included a partnership between a high-technology zone in Hangzhou and the Amtech technology park in Canberra. Arrangements were also made to swap staff between government departments in Canberra and Hangzhou. Similar ties were already in place with Sister-city Beijing.
Mid-November Liberal Party Federal President Shane Stone led a party delegation to China.
16-17 November Foreign Minister Alexander Downer visited Hong Kong.
December An exhibition of more than a hundred colour photographs of the Australian landscape is held at the gallery of the Central Academy of Fine Arts.
December Melbourne Grammar School’s Symphony Orchestra made their first China tour, performing in Beijing and Tianjin.
3 December Wang Lequan, a member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, arrived in Australia for a goodwill visit.
13-18 December Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Richard Alston visited Shanghai to announce Australian IT company PharmaNet Online Limited had gained official recognition of its investment in a Shanghai company setting out to create online trading systems for the Chinese pharmaceuticals industry. The Minister then visited Beijing and Xian. In Beijing he met with Vice Premier Wu Bangguo.

2001
12-13 February Trade Minister Mark Vaile led a delegation of officials and representatives from the private sector to Taipei. The visit was classed as ‘private’. During the visit, the Minister met with Lin Hsin-yi, the Taiwanese Minister of Economic Affairs, to discuss Australia-Taiwan bilateral issues.
14-23 February Health Minister Dr Michael Wooldridge toured Australian aid projects in southern China and Tibet before flying to Beijing for discussions with Chinese Health Minister Zhang Wenkang.
Late February Shanghai Ballet company visited Australia.
1-3 March Defence Minister Peter Reith visited China to discuss bilateral relations and Australia’s position on the United States’ Weapons of Mass Destruction programme.
13-15 March Minister for the Environment and Heritage Robert Hill visited China for environmental discussions and to attend the APEC High Level Meeting on Human Capacity Building.
29 March The Chinese Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Colonel-General Zhang Wannian arrived in Australia to discuss bilateral relations, particularly Australia’s adherence to the ‘One China’ policy.
8-12 April Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services John Anderson visited China. During the visit a memorandum on transportation cooperation was signed, and domestic changes to rural and regional development policies were discussed.
13 April The Turramurra High School Band performed at the National Library Concert Hall in Beijing.
17-20 April Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Laurie Brereton visited Beijing.
May Yothu Yindi and Vanessa Amorosi performed in Beijing.
13-19 May ACT Sister-city visit to Beijing, headed by Chief Minister Gary Humphries.
Mid-May Minister for the Environment and Heritage Robert Hill led a delegation of Australian business people to China for two days to promote environment industries and greener mining practices.
20 May Adelaide Lord Mayor Alfred Huang led an education delegation to China. The group, including representatives from Adelaide’s three universities and the Department of Education and Training, met Chinese government and education officials in the cities of Chengdu, Shanghai and Dalian.
31 May-1 June Foreign Minister Alexander Downer visited Hong Kong.
10 June Six students from Caulfield Grammar School sent back to Australia after being caught defacing Ming tombs during a school visit to Nanjing.
25-27 June Secretary of DFAT Ashton Calvert visited Beijing for Senior Officials Talks. The Chinese co-chair was first Vice Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing.
1-8 July Western Australian Premier Geoff Gallop visits China to discuss liquefied natural gas and iron ore sales. The Premier met Premier Zhu Rongji, and State Development Planning Commission Chairman Zeng Peiyan, and Vice Chairman, Zhang Guobao.
Early July Victorian Treasurer John Brumby led a delegation to discuss trade and investment opportunities, including placing Victoria as a centre for manufacture and sale of Chinese medicines.
Mid July The Australian Ballet gave three performances of Giselle at the Beijing Exhibition Centre Theatre.
9-14 September Former Prime Minister Mr Paul Keating visited Beijing to attend “China and the World in the 21st Century”, organised by the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs.
10-14 September Tasmanian Premier Jim Bacon had a Sister-state visit to Fujian.
20 September A delegation of educationalists from Chengdu arrived in Adelaide to strengthen education exchanges.
29 September Secretary of the Qinghai Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China Bai Enpei arrived in Australia to study the experience of the two countries on farming, husbandry and forestry. After his return, Bai was appointed CPC Secretary of Yunnan Province.
10 October The Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and President of the Chinese Association for International Understanding Li Guixian met with Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Garry Nehl in Beijing.
Mid-October APEC Leaders Meeting in Shanghai, attended by Prime Minister Howard.
22-26 October Vice Chief of Australian Defence Force Lt General Desmond Mueller visited China.
29 October-2 November The 5th Australia-China bilateral human rights dialogue was held in Beijing, co-chaired by Deputy Secretary of DFAT Alan Thomas and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Guangya.
Mid-November The Asia-Pacific Round Table, jointly hosted by the Global Foundation in Australia and Chinese Foreign Ministry-controlled China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), was held in Beijing. The mechanism of a Bilateral Dialogue Meeting was established for contacts between Australian and Chinese businesses and academics.
14-16 November Minister for Finance and Administration Mr John Fahey visited Beijing to attend the above mentioned Bilateral Meeting. He met Vice Premier Qian Qichen during the visit.
Mid-November The Member for Lytton Tom Burns was awarded the Magnolia Honorary Award by the Shanghai Government for his 30 years of service to bilateral relations.
10-18 November Queensland Premier Peter Beattie led a trade mission targeting contracts for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Late November-Mid-December Twenty-four delegates from the China National Natural Science Foundation had a 21-day tour of Australian laboratories and science centres.

2002
1 February The Special Negotiator (Agriculture) Allan McKinnon visited Beijing to discuss China’s agriculture and the WTO.
20-23 February Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Elsie Leung visited Australia.
February Editor-in-Chief of the People’s Daily Wang Chen visited Australia. During the visit he met the Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, and visited the LNG facilities in WA.
20-23 Frbruary Hong Kong Secretary for Justice Allan McKinnon visited China.
5 March A delegation from Beijing’s Olympic committee arrived in Sydney to discuss the information technology infrastructure used during the Sydney Olympics.
17-20 March Chinese Foreign Minister, Tang Jiaxuan, visited Australia to celebrate the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations, and discuss a range of ongoing issues.
23-31 March Mayor of Adelaide Alfred Huang visited China.
26 March A reception, hosted by CPA Australia, to mark the launch of its Beijing representative office project was held.
26-27 March Former Prime Minister Paul Keating visited Beijing to push the housing mortgage securitisation on behalf of Macquarie Bank. During the visit, he had a brief meeting with Premier Zhu Rongji.
April CPC Politburo Member and Shandong CPC Secretary Wu Guanzheng visited Australia.
1-5 April Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Qian Shugen headed a delegation of PLA officers to discuss the enhancement of exchanges between the two armies and of strategic consultations.
1-6 April Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources Ian Macfarlane visited Guangdong Province and Beijing. During the visit, he co-chaired with State Development Planning Commission Vice Chairman Mr Zhang Guobao the first bilateral Resources Dialogue.
Mid-April Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock visited China to hold talks on further cooperation against people smuggling gangs.
11-13 April Minister for Trade Mark Vaile visited China to discuss ongoing negotiations over China’s planned LNG contract, beef exports and quarantine issues.
14-21 April ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope led a 32 member delegation to Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai. The purpose of the visit was four-fold: (1) to demonstrate the Government’s commitment to its formal relationships with the Beijing and Hangzhou Governments, (2) to reaffirm the relationship with Beijing by signing an updated MoU, (3) to redefine the Cooperative Business Council framework for conducting business with Beijing, and (4) to establish a formal agreement between the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau and the ACT Department of Urban Services.
24-28 April Minister for Family and Community Services Amanda Vanstone visited Beijing, Xian, Shanghai and explored the possibility of furthering cooperation with Chinese Ministries concerned in her portfolio responsibility areas.
28 April-1 May Leader of the Opposition Simon Crean visited Beijing.
9-12 May The Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industry and Fisheries David Llewellyn visited Beijing for food promotion. Then the delegation visited Shanghai.
10 May Twelve officers from Beijing Government’s Xi Cheng district arrived in Penrith (NSW) for a nine-week workplace training programme as part of their studies.
Late May A delegation of Australian army officers visit PLA barracks and facilities as part of a series of ongoing military exchanges.
20-30 May The Dalai Lama visited Australia.
21-23 May Prime Minister John Howard visited Beijing and Chongqing to lobby for the liquefied natural gas contract, and to discuss re-starting annual security talks.
25-28 May Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Senator Richard Alston visited Beijing and Shanghai.
6 June Chinese Communist Party secretary for Tibet Guo Jinlong arrived for a brief visit to discuss Australian aid programmes in the province.
25-28 June A delegation from Liaocheng arrived in Blacktown (NSW). The trip included a meeting at the University of Western Sydney and visits to Wonderland, Featherdale and Nurragingy Reserve. A letter of intent was signed to move towards a formal Sister-city agreement.
3 July Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Kevin Rudd visited Beijing to attend a conference held by the International Department of the CPC Central Committee. Accompanying him was Senator Peter Cook.
24-30 July Speaker of the House of Representatives Neil Andrew visited China as the guest of the NPC.
27 July-6 August Former Prime Minister Mr Gough Whitlam visited Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen as the invited guest of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), as a major celebration activity for the 30th anniversary of PRC-Australia diplomatic relations. On the evening of 30 July, he delivered the inaugural address of the Australia-China oration series. The remaining three oration dinner speeches were to be delivered later in the year on three separate occasions by the Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe with Sandy Hollway, the first Australian Ambassador to the PRC Professor Stephen FitzGerald, and the ACC Chairman Dr John Yu.
8 August China announced that the North West Shelf consortium was picked to supply 3.2 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas annually for 25 years to Guangdong.
12-18 August Victorian Premier Steve Bracks and Melbourne Lord Mayor John So visited Beijing, Nanjing, and Hong Kong.
14 August Australia-China Human Rights Dialogue started in Canberra.
16-19 August Former Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, visited Beijing, including for promoting Centennial Resources (CR) investment in Beijing. He met Beijing’s CPC Secretary Jia Qinglin, and the Beijing Mayor Mr Liu Qi.
18-24 August Hong Kong Financial Secretary Donald Tsang visited Australia to meet with senior federal politicians and officials.
Early September A cross-party delegation of federal parliamentarians, consisting of James Lloyd, John Murphy, John Forrest and Julia Irwen, visited Taiwan, and met with President Chen Shui-bian as well as other senior officials.
16-22 September Chinese Premier Li Peng visited Australia to celebrate the 30th anniversary of recognition.
21-26 September Western Australian Premier, Geoff Gallop, visited China with an Australian LNG delegation to thank the Chinese government for the award of the 25 year contract. The delegation met the Chairman of the CPC Standing Committee Li Peng. The delegation also visited Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong to thank the respective governments for their support.
Late September Burwood Mayor Ernest Wong and Deputy Mayor David Weiley visited China to celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations, and to discuss possible Sister-city arrangements.
11-14 October A 13-member Chinese delegation arrives in Darwin to celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
18 October The 25 year LNG contract was signed in Parliament House, Canberra.
8-17 November Melbourne Symphony Orchestra staged performances in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Nanjing.
10 November Celebrate Australia 2002 programme commenced in Shanghai, opened by Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.
11 November Foreign Minister Alexander Downer visited Hong Kong.
13-16 November The 8th International Conference of Australian Studies and Celebrations of 30 years of PRC-Australia Diplomatic Relations was held in Hefei, Anhui Province.
24-30 November The Chair of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee of the federal parliament, Alan Ferguson, led a delegation to Beijing to mark the 30th anniversary.
7 December The Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC Yang Rudai arrived in Australia for 30th anniversary celebrations.
19 December The CPAFFC, in collaboration with the Australian and the New Zealand Embassies in Beijing, held a grand reception in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the PRC and Australia, and the PRC and New Zealand.