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Archives: Dispatches

All Lingua Sinica Dispatches

Fairfax Media Signs Deal with China Daily

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China Daily (中国日报) and Fairfax Media signed a content distribution agreement in May 2016 to launch “China Watch” in Australia, marking China Daily’s entry into the Australian market. The agreement, announced at a ceremony attended by Liu Qibao (刘奇葆), head of the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Propaganda Department, established monthly publication of an eight-page English-language “China Watch” supplement in Fairfax Media’s Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and Financial Review newspapers. China Daily editor-in-chief Zhou Shuchun (周树春) described the partnership as extending China Daily’s influence across Oceania through Fairfax’s network of newspapers in Australia and New Zealand. “China Watch,” a multilingual China Daily publication reaching over 50 million readers globally, was already distributed with major newspapers including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Daily Telegraph, Le Figaro, and others across multiple countries. Announcing the deal, China Daily quoted Tim Dwyer, an associate professor at the Department of Media and Communications at the University of Sydney, as saying: “The inclusion of China Watch publication is a really welcome development in the Australian media landscape. It introduces news diversity to Australian media audiences.” Published by China’s propaganda department (State Council information Office), China Daily is explicitly described in Party documents as a vehicle for “external propaganda” and “telling China’s story well.”

Telewizja Polska

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Telewizja Polska (TVP) is Poland’s state broadcaster, founded in 1952 as the country’s oldest and largest television network. Operating multiple channels including TVP1, TVP2, and news channel TVP Info, the broadcaster functions as a public service entity owned by the Polish State Treasury. TVP has faced persistent accusations of political bias across different governments. After the right-wing Law and Justice party’s 2015 victory, European media characterized TVP as a “propaganda arm” of the government. Following the opposition’s 2023 electoral victory, Poland’s culture minister dismissed TVP’s leadership and initiated restructuring, placing the organization in liquidation. The broadcaster maintains international partnerships and operates channels targeting Polish diaspora communities, including TVP Polonia and regional services like TVP Wilno for Poles in Lithuania.

Australian Embassy in Beijing

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The Australian Embassy in Beijing (澳大利亞駐北京大使館) serves as Australia’s official diplomatic mission to the People’s Republic of China, representing Australian government interests and facilitating bilateral relations between the two nations. Located in Beijing’s Chaoyang District, the embassy provides consular services to Australian citizens in China, promotes trade and investment opportunities, and manages cultural and educational exchange programs. Operating under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Embassy coordinates Australia’s diplomatic engagement with Chinese government institutions, supports Australian businesses operating in China, and facilitates exchanges through various partnership initiatives. The embassy works alongside Australian consulates-general in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Hong Kong to serve Australia’s interests across the Chinese mainland and special administrative regions.

Australia-China Xinjiang Association

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The Australia-China Xinjiang Association (澳大利亞中國新疆聯誼會) is an organization based in Sydney that promotes connections between Australia and China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The Association’s president, Tu Zhen (涂真), has participated in high-level events with Chinese officials and diaspora leaders. Notable activities included co-organizing a 2016 Lunar New Year gala featuring Xinjiang performing artists alongside the Australian Chinese Arts and Literature Association and Australia’s Nanhai Media. The event, hosted by the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region People’s Government, showcased Uyghur songs, dances, and performances including selections from the Twelve Muqam. Tu Zhen attended a 2014 reception honoring Zhou Wenzhong (周文重), former Chinese Ambassador to the United States and Secretary-General of the Boao Forum for Asia, alongside representatives from Chinese state media including Xinhua, Phoenix Television, and China Central Television, as well as numerous Chinese community organizations in Sydney.

SBS Australia

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The Special Broadcasting Service (特別廣播服務公司), or SBS, is an Australian hybrid-funded public service broadcaster established in 1978, with approximately 80 percent of funding derived from tax revenue. Originally founded in 1975 as an experimental radio network serving ethnic minority communities following the end of the White Australia Policy, SBS expanded into television in 1980 with its stated purpose “to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia’s multicultural society.” Operating as an independent statutory authority under the Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991, SBS runs six television channels (SBS, SBS Viceland, SBS World Movies, SBS Food, NITV and SBS WorldWatch) and seven radio networks, including multilingual services in over 60 languages, alongside the SBS On Demand streaming platform.

Australian Chinese Arts and Literature Association

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The Australian Chinese Arts and Literature Association (澳華文聯) is a cultural organization registered with the Australian federal government in 1990 to promote Chinese culture and arts in Australia. With over 30 years of programming experience, the Association has organized hundreds of cultural events including theatrical productions, television broadcasts, and festival participation. Operating through four committees (Leadership, Expert, External Liaison, and Production), the organization’s mission encompasses promoting national culture — by which it means Chinese culture — fostering social harmony, developing cultural industries, and enriching overseas Chinese life. The organization emphasizes its cultural role in building connections between the PRC and Australia, though associations raise questions, including a visit between Yu Junwu (余俊武), chairman of the Sydney arts troupe, and United Front Work Department (UFWD) director Liu Yandong (刘延东), and a meeting between the association’s leadership and UFWD Minister You Lantian (尤兰田部长). The Association has participated in major Australian festivals while hosting signature events. Notable collaborations included co-organizing a 2016 Lunar New Year gala with the Xinjiang government.

Australian Government

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The Australian Government (澳大利亞政府), also known as the Commonwealth Government or federal government, is the national executive government of the Commonwealth of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy established in 1901. Constitutionally designated as the “Government of the Commonwealth,” the federal government operates under a Westminster-style system with executive power exercised by the Governor-General as representative of the British monarch, while the Prime Minister serves as head of government. The bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate and House of Representatives, with the government formed by the party holding majority support in the lower house. Under Section 51 of the Australian Constitution, federal powers include external affairs, defense, immigration, trade, and taxation, with Tourism Australia operating as one of its corporate portfolio agencies under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Nan Hai Media

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Nan Hai Culture and Media Group (澳大利亚南海文化传媒集团) is a Sydney-based media company founded in 2011 by CEO Li Bing (李冰). The company operates multiple platforms including WeSydney (Australia’s third most popular WeChat account), Citywalker magazine, and produces Chinese editions of Qantas magazine and Vogue Australia. According to a 2020 Australian Strategic Policy Institute report, Nan Hai has close ties to China’s United Front Work Department (UFWD). The company reportedly received funding from the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (absorbed by UFWD in 2018) and maintains a partnership with China News Service, the UFWD’s media wing. Nan Hai shares office space at 541 Kent Street, Sydney, with Ya Zhou Wen Hua Enterprises (Australia), a joint venture with a UFWD-controlled Hong Kong company. The company organizes the annual Sydney Chinese New Year Lantern Festival at Darling Harbour, jointly with the Australia-China Economics, Trade and Culture Association.

Tourism Australia

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Tourism Australia is the Australian government agency responsible for promoting Australian destinations for business and leisure travel internationally and domestically. Established in 2004 through the Tourism Australia Act as a merger of the Australian Tourist Commission, Bureau of Tourism Research, Tourism Forecasting Council, and See Australia, the agency operates as a corporate portfolio entity under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. With approximately 198 staff across 15 markets, Tourism Australia implements campaigns aligned with the THRIVE 2030 national strategy, aiming to grow visitor economy spending from pre-pandemic levels of AU$166 billion to AU$230 billion by 2030. Notable campaigns included the 2022 “Come and Say G’day” featuring cartoon kangaroo Ruby the Roo, voiced by Rose Byrne, with its second chapter launching in August 2025 fronted by Robert Irwin.