In response to the Australian Government’s ‘Australia in the Asian Century’ country strategies, the Australia-China Young Professionals Initiative (ACYPI) conducted a survey of over 400 young professionals across Australia over one week in May. The survey results, released today in ACYPI’s ‘Enhancing the Australia-China Relationship’ report, show business and government must do more to build a base of Australian and Chinese professionals and entrepreneurs to bring Australia into the Asian Century.

In reflecting on ACYPI’s report, Business Review Weekly said ‘it is understandable that Australia’s current business leaders have a greater orientation towards the country’s traditional centres of influence such as the US and Europe.’ 69% of respondents had neutral or no idea of the general points of the Australia in the Asian Century White Paper, respondents continued to favour traditional markets such as the US and UK over Asian countries for work experience and fewer than 50% of respondents worked in a business that valued and encouraged Chinese cultural and literacy knowledge. ‘Of greater concern, perhaps, are signs that the next generation shows the same orientation.’

ACYPI Australia Executive Director, Edward Kus, said the survey results demonstrated that ‘young professionals are interested in the Asian Century but struggling to engage with its core issues’.

How do you see the Asian Century? Join the discussion on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/AustraliaChina-Young-Professionals-Initiative-ACYPI-3744368