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Press Release: Meet the delegates of the 14th ...

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.​

Press Release: Meet the delegates of the 14th Australia-China Youth Dialogue
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ACYD 2013 Alumni Qin Qin's Book Launch: Model ...

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!

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The ACYD Was Invited to the 8th Australia-China ...

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.

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Testimonials, ACYD News
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Alumni Spotlight: Miya Liu (ACYD 2016)

“I highly recommend emerging leaders to apply for the ACYD for its richness of content, diversity of topics discussed, as well as the people-to-people connections created during the full-fledged program and the alumni community.”

Testimonials, ACYD News
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Alumni Spotlight: Mimi Zou (ACYD 2011)

“My participation in the ACYD elevated my profile as an emerging expert in these fields [international relations, business, commercial law, and law and technology] and helped to propel my career.”

Testimonials

Mike Smith (CEO of ANZ)

When I first worked in Australia in the late 1980s, Australia’s then Prime Minister Bob  Hawke said that for the country to succeed it needed to be prepared to enmesh itself with the dynamism of our region, the Asia Pacific region.

Today, China is Australia’s largest trading partner, our largest export market, our largest source of fee-paying students and of tourists, and one of its largest sources of direct foreign investment.

Given the massive economic dependency Australia has on China, it’s clear from recent events that a more sustained effort has to be put into framing the relationship properly. To achieve this I believe there needs to be increased and sustained dialogue and engagement across all levels of society.

An organisation like the Australia China Youth Dialogue plays an important role in making that happen, and I applaud the initiatives that our young leaders have taken to develop China-Australia relations by bringing together key people from both sides to forge deeper understanding and connections for the future.

Clive Lee (2012 Chinese Delegate)

中澳青年对话”是一个无与伦比的活动!」这样说足以说明这是我参加过最高水平的国际青年会议! 一周的思想盛宴,让你身处世界的顶端,看到不一样的画面!你将遇见世界级的讲者, 如澳大利亚驻北京大使,联合国发展计划中国总监, JP Morgan中国全球市场董事总经理兼主席等. 内容广泛,从政治,国际关系,经济商业,文化艺术, 环境保育,能源,非牟利发展,社会创新等均一一涵盖.从他们对于中澳关系的宏观看法,并与之深入交流,你将得到无法想像的思想冲击,激荡和启发!我对于“中澳青年对话”的深爱还来自于中澳两方各个专业的代表,与其高水平的交流,分享大家的不同观点,信念与价值,如何达到协同效应.我們現在正在共同撰写一份文件, 希望可以启发未来中澳关系的友好发展!“中澳青年对话”不单是一个交流活动,而是一个共同探索的旅程,现在这个旅程才刚要 开始!

Jade Little (2012 Australian Delegate)

ACYD far exceeded my expectations. It was a thought-provoking five days that examined issues from politics, economics and law to culture and sports. This encouraged me to broaden my understanding of the Australia-China relationship, and inspired me to re-affirm my commitment to it. I cannot speak highly enough of the diverse range of speakers, delegates and organisers. While all incredibly intelligent and high-achieving, they were also a lot of fun (which lead to much sleep-deprivation as one would often go out in the evenings after a full day of dialogue). The locations selected and events organised were also superb: Capital M Restaurant in Beijing, Taichi in Jingshan Park, Chengdu Panda Base, Tainfu Software Park, the list goes on. I cannot recommend ACYD enough to any young person who has an interest in the Australia-China relationship. You will learn a lot, you will meet amazing individuals, you will make fantastic friends, and ultimately you will be inspired.

Kyle Fox (2012 Australian Delegate)

Seven days with no sleep, no peace, a blizzard of ideas, personalities and language. It made foie gras of my previously fairly healthy mind, force fed on a diet of eureka moments, chilli and the occasional beer. As a self-proclaimed Sinophile who has not had a decent bowl of dandanmian in seven years, ACYD gave me the opportunity to talk with the people who are currently doing the deals, framing the big questions and pioneering new aspects of the Australia-China relationship. More importantly, I ate frog, sang karaoke, practiced tai chi, cracked bad jokes, exchanged cringe worthy dance moves and pretended to be sophisticated with a group of truly excellent young and youngish people from Australia and China. By the end of the week, I was like an eight year old being dragged home from the Easter Show, tired, emotional, but thinking of every type of scheme I could imagine so I could stay in China with my new friends just a little longer.

FENG Shenghao/冯晟昊 (2012 Chinese Delegate)

It’s funny when I just count the days. The whole ACYD activities only went on for five days, but it has since become a referencing point for me ever since. Hardly a day or two go by without hearing interesting things from the delegates and organisers. And the circle just keeps getting larger and larger. I never could imagine meeting so many interesting people who share similar interests with myself. The ACYD is like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Weibo, Wikipedia, Big Bang Theory and all the good stuff combined and squeezed in a 3-dimensional reality bombshell – it’s ADDICTIVE, but in a good way.

CHEN Sheng/陈胜 (2012 Chinese Delegate)

ACYD 2012 gave me an ideal opportunity to get to know more than 40 young people from different fields and industries. With ever increasing political, economic, educational, cultural, and NGO engagement between China and Australia, I learned about the issues that concern young people, what hopes they have for the future and what promises they will fulfil. I found the opportunity to speak frankly and sincerely with expert scholars and executives with long experience in Sino-Australian relations immensely beneficial.

I sincerely hope that ACYD will continue to grow, opening a new channel for communication and interaction between China and Australia and especially between the young people of the two countries.

2012 ACYD给了我了解四十多位来自各行各业年轻人的绝佳机会，通过他们进而知道了在日益增多的中澳政治、经济、教育、文化、NGO交往中，年轻人都在关注什么、他们对未来的世界有哪些期盼又在践行着哪些承诺。更重要的一点是，能够直接与ACYD邀请的二十多位长期从事中澳双边事务的专家学者、企业家进行开诚布公的交流，让我受益匪浅。

Joshua GRAY (2010 Australian Delegate)

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"Having discussed the abstract idea of the Australia-China Youth Association in Beijing cafes with a motley bunch of Australians in 2008, I was extremely pleased to see an event like the Australia-China Youth Dialogue come to fruition some two years later. Reading through the truly exceptional delegate and speaker profiles before leaving gave me a genuine sense of excitement.

The best part of the dialogue was spending time developing personal friendships with an eclectic cohort of young Australians and Chinese, all committed to developing deeper links between our countries. The program for discussion touched on all of the big issues underpinning the Australia-China relationship. The subtleties and nuances of what we heard led to the most rewarding exchange. For example, we learnt how the concept of face in Chinese culture was being successfully exploited in grassroots environmental activism. Such stories get little reporting in the Australian press, which tend to be preoccupied with fanning hysteria over Chinese investment in the Australian resources sector.

There were many more examples which reminded me to keep an open mind when I think about China and what it means; perhaps an impossible task. China is a contradictory, diverse and undeniably important place. I hope that the Chinese delegates had a similar experience and will see Australia as more than a farm or hole in the ground. One can only imagine where the ACYD class of 2010 will be in ten years time and I look forward to continuing to engage in dialogue then, although I’ll surely no longer be a ‘youth’!"