The 14th Australia-China Youth Dialogue (ACYD) will be held in Adelaide this year from Friday 22nd November to Monday 25th November 2024, bringing together 28 delegates from both countries. The four-day conference will explore the overarching theme of Planning for The Future By Learning From The Past, with each day focusing on a particular topic including: Geopolitics, Trade and Investment, Education and Tourism, Energy and Sustainability. This year's dialogue will include panel discussions and interactive workshops, to be led by expert speakers from Australian government and universities, Australia-based Chinese companies, to bring discussions, insights and a more sophisticated understanding of the bilateral trade and investment relationship.
On March 27, 2024, Qin Qin (2013 ACYD Alumni) published her book named Model Minority Gone Rogue – the story of Qin Qin. The book unpacks her incredible journey as a model Asian daughter growing up in Australia and how she decided to take the path less walked by which will no doubt inspire many. Congratulations Qin Qin!
James Tang, Executive Director of the Australia-China Youth Dialogue, was invited by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR) and Foreign Minister Penny Wong to attend the 8th Australia-China High-Level Dialogue as a delegate. He participated in discussions alongside senior officials such as Former Trade Minister Dr. Craig Emerson and Wang Chao, Honorary President of the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs.
The Australia-China Youth Dialogue Alumni Association was formed in 2012 to ensure that all participants who have attended the ACYD over the years will continue to benefit. It is designed to ensure that all participants can continue to meet together to discuss the challenges and opportunities for the Australia China relationship and further mutual understanding amongst the two nations.
Participating in the Alumni Association offers all alumni the opportunities to positivity impact their community through implementing concepts explored during the ACYD. Additionally, the association provides a sustainable forum for alumni to network with each other, stay in contact with the ACYD organisers and work together to advance shared goals.
A formal alumni event will be organized in Melbourne, Sydney, Beijing and Shanghai annually and the Alumni Gala event will take place during ACYD in the county where the ACYD is held that year. Events are exclusively open to alumni from all years.
For more information on Australian-based ACYD Alumni events, please contact Fiona Lawrie, the ACYD Alumni National Coordinator (Australia), at fiona.lawrie@acyd.org.au.
For Chinese-based events, please contact Ann Wang, the ACYD Alumni National Coordinator (China), at ann.wang@acyd.org.au
Zhou Kang was one of the inaugural 2010 ACYD Chinese delegates. Over the dialogue’s five days, Zhou Kang got to know leaders of different industries, experts and like-minded youth. After the dialogue finished, Zhou Kang chose to return to university, studying for an MBA at Peking University. At the same time, he was vigorously organising and participating in a set of Australian-Chinese cultural exchange activities, including the Beijing Forecast, Australia-China Youth Association (ACYA), and Beijing Lifelight Blind Centre volunteer project, and so on. In 2012, Zhou Kang became a part of the ACYD Organising Committee, and was a part of organising the 2012 ACYD. In 2013, Zhou Kang graduated from Peking University’s National School of Development without a hitch, obtaining an MBA. Zhou Kang then selected to throw himself into the internet and information technology venture sphere, devoting himself to creating a suitable ecosphere for Chinese-based entrepreneurs, and further creating a foundation for exchanges between domestic and foreign entrepreneurs. Besides writing for technology blogs, he also feels strongly about organising internet industry events. Zhou Kang is currently working for Amazon China, and is responsible for business development.
For any media enquiries, please contact Fiona Lawrie at fiona.lawrie@acyd.org.au.
In recognition of the critical role that youth diplomacy has within the Australia-China bilateral relationship, the Australia-China Youth Dialogue has made history by being the first youth organisation to be offered a seat on the table of the highest-level track 1.5 dialogue with the People’s Republic of China – the Australia-China Forum. Following on from the success of the third annual Australia-China Youth Dialogue, convened in Beijing and Chengdu from 19-24 October 2012, ACYD Founder Henry Makeham was subsequently invited to join the Australia-China Forum in Beijing as the Australia-China Youth Dialogue delegate. Henry was invited to speak on intensifying personnel and cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Australia.
The ACF considers the entirety of the Australia-China relationship. Initiated in 2010 by former Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith during the visit to Australia by Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping, the objectives of the ACF are to enhance mutual understanding and trust between Australia and China, and to promote the sound and steady development of bilateral relations.
The second annual ACF was held in Beijing from November 14-15. The Australian Delegation was led by Professor the Hon Gareth Evans QC (Chancellor of the ANU and former Minister of Foreign Affairs), Frances Adamson (Australian Ambassador to China), Trevor Rowe (Executive Chairman, Rothschild Australia), Catherine Tanna (Chairman, BG Group Australia), David Olsson (Senior Partner, King & Wood Mallesons), the Hon. Andrew Leigh MP (Federal Member for Fraser), Michael Gallagher (Executive Director of the G8 Universities Group) and Rowan Callick (Asia Pacific Editor, The Australian).
The Chinese delegation was led by Li Zhaoxing (Chairman, Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress, former Minister of Foreign Affairs) and some of the delegates included Zhou Wenzhong, (Secretary-General of the Boao Asia Forum), Tang Maoheng (a senior manager at the Bank of China), Fang Quichen (North America and Oceania head of the Commerce Ministry), Zhou Dadi, (the National Development and Reform Commission’s leading energy expert) and Wang Hui (China Daily’s international opinion editor).
Through its annual event with fifteen future leaders from both countries, the ACYD aims to break down misconceptions while enhancing mutual respect, trust and understanding between future stakeholders in Australia-China affairs. Given the close alignment of the objectives of both the ACF and the ACYD, it is hoped that in due course there will be some overlap between the activities of the ACF and the ACYD going forward.
Jacob Taylor, the vice-captain of the Australian Rugby Union Sevens squad, is the winner of the NSW Rhodes scholarship for 2013. Jacob co-authored the Australia-China Youth Dialogue's submission to the recently released white paper on "Australia in the Asian Century" and he is also the co-founder of the Engaging China Project, a youth-driven, not-for-profit project aiming to ignite interest in China among high school students.
