People-to-people exchanges seen as vital to fostering ties between future generations

In the early morning of August 3, a delegation from Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), comprised of two lecturers and eight undergraduate and postgraduate students, touched down in Australia after a 12-hour flight from China's capital. This brisk winter morning was filled with a mixture of flight fatigue and excitement as these young people, without even checking into their hotel, headed straight to La Trobe University on the outskirts of Melbourne, the first stop of their study trip.

Back in June, when the delegation reached out to the Australian Visa Application Center via e-mail to inquire about the type of visas they should apply for, they were quite uncertain about the trip. However, the visa processing went unexpectedly smoothly, with nearly everyone obtaining a visitor visa (subclass 600) within 10 days. At that time, they had no idea this 10-day study trip would prove to be a valuable and memorable experience for both the participants and the Australian host organizations.

A long-awaited reunion

"Your visit holds immense significance," Dr. Yangbin Chen, a senior lecturer from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University, told the group during their meeting. "As you are the first Chinese delegation to visit La Trobe University after the coronavirus outbreak."

The Foundation for Australian Studies in China (FASIC), which promotes academic exchange between Australia and China, also recognized the significance of the group's trip to Australia. FASIC CEO Stephanie Lowe expressed her excitement about having face-to-face contact with a student delegation from China for the first time in over three years.

As a BFSU scholar of Australian studies who took part in the delegation, I had previously been awarded a grant from the 2019 Australian Studies in China Program (ASP), jointly funded by FASIC and the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations. However, my plans to travel to Australia for my research project were disrupted by the outbreak of COVID-19. Back in 2020, I expected the then "epidemic" to be under control within a few months, so I bought a ticket to go to Australia in February. However, it escalated into a pandemic and I had to cancel my trip. Little did I know that it would be three and a half years before I would be able to go back to Australia.

During this prolonged period, as China-Australia relations suffered some severe setbacks before a gradual recovery since May 2022, people-to-people exchanges between the two countries were even more severely impacted by the pandemic. It is understandable that the eight BFSU students, who had never been to Australia before, experienced anxiety during the visa application process. After all, the information they read in both countries' media was predominantly negative after China-Australia relations began deteriorating in 2018. Visas for Chinese students were revoked, and many visitor visa applications from China were denied by Australia. Two prominent Chinese scholars of Australian studies were denied entry to Australia on the grounds of alleged political infiltration. Australia's participation in the Australia-UK-U.S. trilateral security pact and its perception of China as a "national security threat" further strained the relationship. Trade between the two countries suffered. "My parents were concerned when they heard about my plan to visit Australia. They perceive Australia as anti-China," Luo Tianyi, another teacher confided in the group.

However, the study trip has offered them a deeper understanding of Australia, which is difficult to attain solely through news consumption or Internet browsing. This experience has the potential to reshape their perceptions of Australia, and perhaps even those of their parents.

"I never anticipated seeing so many Asian faces along the way!" Yang Yuqi, a sophomore student, exclaimed. "It's amazing how many Chinese restaurants there are in the heart of Melbourne. It almost feels like I am still in China."

Reflecting on their visit to the National Gallery of Victoria, Liu Chengchang, another student, said, "Having been to Britain and France, I noticed that locals here have a stronger interest in Asian or Chinese art than Europeans. Australian society is more open-minded."

As the students undertook days of street interviews and distributed questionnaires on the theme of multiculturalism, they had the opportunity for closer contact with everyday Australians. "Before I came here, I had read some literature about Australia, so I always thought that racism was prevalent here and that Australians might not be friendly toward Chinese people. However, after arriving here I realized that people here are incredibly friendly, and most of them are willing to participate in our interviews," Tang Xiang said.

Much-needed exchanges

As an old Chinese saying goes, "The friendship between nations lies in the affinity between their people." People-to-people exchanges are essential to fostering understanding, and it is through understanding that trust and goodwill can be established.

Unfortunately, due to the once-deteriorating bilateral relations, China studies programs in Australian universities have faced funding cuts, with some programs even being suspended.

At La Trobe University, Dr. Chen is responsible for the China Studies program. One of his students, Theodore White, is an avid fan of Chinese xianxia literature, a genre that blends elements of fantasy with swordplay. White's interest-driven learning has significantly enhanced his Chinese reading skills.

However, he humorously refers to his speaking abilities as "mute Chinese" due to the lack of an immersive environment for practice. As a result, Dr. Chen is actively seeking to expand cooperation with Chinese universities, allowing more students interested in China to participate in short-term study programs. He believes even a two-week experience in China can provide a deeper understanding of the country, greatly enhancing the students' interest and motivation to learn Chinese.

FASIC also had to suspend one of its flagship programs, the BHP Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University, due to funding issues. However, the foundation is actively looking at new ways to promote Australian studies in China, as Lowe acknowledges that it is a challenging task that must be undertaken. Each year, dozens of Chinese researchers and college students receive research grants from the ASP, another flagship program of FASIC. FASIC encouraged the students from the BFSU delegation to apply for the 2023 ASP during meetings with them, saying the next generation will determine the course of bilateral ties.

The attitudes of Chinese youth regarding Australia also attracted attention from the Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney, which had just conducted a survey on Australians' opinions of Australia-China relations. When ACRI discovered through dialogues with the BFSU delegation that one of the study trip's subjects was Australian perceptions of Chinese culture, they asked each student to give three words that best described how they felt about Australia. The replies they received proved the trip to be surprisingly meaningful. In addition to conventional symbols such as kangaroos and koalas, students mentioned diversity and migrants, demonstrating a deeper understanding of the nation.

China has recently sent out encouraging messages about promoting two-way cultural exchange. In early August, the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the resumption of outbound group tour services to 78 more countries and regions, including Australia. Chinese Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng visited Australia from August 14 to 15. Hopefully the BFSU study trip will be followed by many more goodwill trips and substantive exchanges between the two sides, bringing the strained bilateral relations back on track.