The two nations have long seen value in each other, having made their earliest connections on the Victorian goldfields in the 1850s.

Australia’s clean air, blue skies and reputation as one of the planet’s most liveable countries resonate with the Chinese, as China’s rapid urbanisation and growth of mega cities significantly impact on their quality of life.

To Australia, China is a major source of investment, migration and knowledge. As the country’s biggest trading partner, China’s growth has been — and will continue to be — a significant driver of Australia’s economic prosperity.

But living with China’s rise is ever challenging, testing Australia’s diplomacy and hospitality as never before. In 2016, public discourse on China is livelier than ever, reflecting ongoing tensions and suspicion, and for some a disconnect between two wildly different cultures. It is critical that both countries be better informed, to stimulate realistic and nuanced discussion towards fully appreciating the vast opportunities involved in their relationship.  

1. Go back to where you came from: Sinophobia

Australia and China have a long history of contact. Wild conjecture suggests it might even pre-date Captain Cook’s arrival in the 18th century. Either way, Chinese people are among the oldest continuous streams of immigrants to Australia, a movement that gained momentum in Gold Rush times.

Consequently, the Chinese have influenced Australian policy for more than 100 years, but racist fears about their migration have often driven the national agenda.

Since the White Australia policy era came to an end in the 1970s, new residents from China have arrived in increasing numbers. Today, 866,205 people of Chinese heritage make up an integral part of Australian society, but tensions between the two countries remain.

A recent example emerged out of the shortage of baby formula that has haunted Australian parents. From as early as 2013, Australian mothers have been complaining about a shortage of infant formula in local supermarkets such as Woolworths and Coles. They pointed the finger at the Chinese, who they accused of buying big quantities to send home or to sell online.

There have also been reports of warehouse operations across Melbourne in which profiteers have been making a killing by selling formula to China at inflated rates.

Local consumers have expressed their anger on social media and petitioned for limits to be put on purchases. Feelings have been running so high that innocent parents hunting for formula for their babies have reported being met with suspicion because of their Asian features or having had their orders cancelled because of their Asian surnames.

Tensions, likewise, have shrouded the property market, as locals point their fingers at wealthy Chinese snapping up Australian houses and land. They say too much Chinese investment is being allowed into Australia.

In one recent report, a popular TV news program put Chinese investment in Australian farms under the spotlight.

“And they’re wanting far more than just our land,” the reporter announced, referring to Chinese investors who had their eyes on Australia’s iconic farms, including the country’s biggest dairy farm group, Van Diemen’s Land Company in Tasmania. According to the report, a growing band of “powerful patriots” were railing against the purchase of VDLC by Chinese interests.

Dick Smith, the entrepreneur and founder of the eponymously-named electronics company Dick Smith, argued that it was “totally stupid” to sell the farm to the Chinese. “So, you talk about a free trade agreement: it’s not free because it’s only one-way.”

Supporting Mr Smith was businesswoman Jan Cameron, the founder of outdoor apparel and equipment company Kathmandu. In bidding for the farm, Ms Cameron said she was “gazumped by a Chinese company.”

Polling by the Lowy Institute has consistently shown that a majority of Australians believe there is too much Chinese investment in Australia. Talk around the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement has been a case in point. The landmark deal triggered heated debate about the impact of allowing more Chinese to work in Australia.

Many Australians say they fear for their jobs as a consequence, with trade unions warning that the agreement is set to impact “every workforce” — from construction to childcare.

“Unemployment is up and youth unemployment is at 13.4 per cent, but the Government wants to let employers take on a worker from China without having to advertise the job locally first,” a Union factsheet states. “An estimated 158, 000 Australian workers could lose their jobs.”

Joanna Howe, a senior law lecturer at the University of Adelaide, who advised the government on its temporary 457 work visa program, agrees the deal risks taking jobs from locals.

“It’s possible that Chinese workers will replace local workers,” Dr Howe told The Citizen. “And I think protection of local job opportunities was not a significant priority while negotiating the agreement.”

But despite the controversies and tensions, the Australia-China relationship might just be a double-edged sword: in 2011, trade and investment with China brought estimated benefits of $10,500 annually per Australian household. It was also robust trade with China that allowed Australia to avoid plunging into recession in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.  

2. Chinese students . . . coming to a uni near you

Universities and governments could not be any more aware of this simple fact: international students are a big driver of the economy.

In Australia, almost a third of all foreign students hail from China, the most common place of origin by far. As a major force driving people-to-people exchange between the two countries, young Chinese international students — as well as their Australian peers – are among the next generation of leaders likely to shape ideas.

But some experts say Australia risks taking this valuable resource for granted and as little more than a cash cow. They argue that too many Chinese students pass through the education system without engaging adequately with Australian society. In fact, foreign students are often graduating with little understanding of Australia’s political, legal and social systems. Chinese students have long been recognised for their financial value, but, sadly, much less so for their potential in bringing the two nations closer together.

In the higher education sector, for example, programs and initiatives have long been in place aimed at helping the Chinese adapt locally and forge relationships: services, workshops, meet-and-greets, for example. But a lot of students don’t know about the resources that do exist, and many remain disconnected.

This has led to a major gap in understanding between Australian and Chinese youth – and a lost opportunity.

There are many bitter lessons. Last year, hundreds of students across major universities in NSW were caught and expelled for cheating in a scandal involving a Chinese ghost-writing service. Many cheaters accessed the service called MyMaster to cope with assignments and online tests that they might have failed.

Tony Wang, then-president of the international student representative body at the University of Melbourne, said cultural differences might have pressured these students to cheat. “Students from certain Asian countries like China tend to interact less with teachers or the faculty to bring up their issues with studying,” he said.

“The sheer number of Chinese students in Australia is often given as a reason for not attempting to better engage with them. This should not be used as an excuse to do nothing.” — Eva O’Dea, China Matters

Following the scandal, many universities ramped up their marketing of academic help services but without understanding fully what’s really making it tough for the Chinese to meet local expectations. Experts have argued that language difficulty and a lack of knowledge about Australian laws and customs are chief reasons; conversely, that Australia doesn’t quite get-to-grips with the cultural norms of a society where government and institutions “operate under a vastly different model”.

Good relationships should start in the classroom, according to Eva O’Dea, a research and project manager at China Matters, an independent not-for-profit organisation that aims to inform Australia on China’s rise and how it matters from a policy perspective. It’s essentially about how the next generation of leaders conquer their sometimes lazy assumptions about each other, she argued.

“The sheer number of Chinese students in Australia is often given as a reason for not attempting to better engage with them,” Ms O’Dea said. “This should not be used as an excuse to do nothing.”

For Australia, the question is: how does one of the world’s top study destinations want to be remembered by its foreign alumni?   

3. In search of “real” Chinese food in Australia . . . 

If you are Chinese and living in Australia, it’s very likely that you have fielded all sorts of “China questions”. From the relatively inoffensive ‘What part of the country are you from?’ and ‘Are you the only child of your parents?’, the inquiries can veer quickly into more cringeworthy territory, such as: ‘Do you eat dogs?’

But when it comes to Chinese food, one question is inevitable: ‘Does Chinese food here taste the same as it does in China?’ The answer is much more than a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

China’s contact with Australia via food can be traced back to the mid-19th century when the first group of Chinese migrants came thirsty for gold. Soon after, in 1890, the first Chinese cafe in Australia opened its doors in Ballarat, Victoria.

But locals may not have a natural palate for Chinese food. Today, the Chinese food scene is dominated by cuisine from the Canton region in China’s south. This is partly because its mild, delicate taste is more attuned to Aussie preferences, although history also suggests that immigrants from the region are believed to be among the earliest settlers in Australia.

Ask an average Chinese to name “one single dish” that speaks for all food Chinese, and it’s likely their eyes will roll.

Why? Because China could not be more proud of the diversity of flavour and variations in its food, and the different ways it can be cooked. Sichuan, Cantonese, Shanghainese, Northeastern, Yunnan . . . stir-fried, steamed, braised, slow-cooked . . . the list of styles and methods is infinite. One nation, 1.4 billion people, 56 ethnic minorities: Chinese culinary art is a reservoir of symbolism and folklore, as ingredients and dishes often carry rich connotations and serve specific occasions.

So, in the interests of enriching the experiences of Australian diners, here is a guide to Chinese food 101:

• Noodles are often served at birthdays as the lengthy strands are said to represent long life.
• Steamed buns coloured to look like peaches symbolise longevity and are also served at birthdays.
• Oranges and tangerines ensure sweetness of life.
• Golden coloured food or food that rhymes phonetically with the word gold is deemed good for prosperity. (Eg: “orange” has the same sound as the “gold” in Cantonese).
• Banquet tables and cakes are always round and this signifies harmony and perfection.
• Spring rolls represent the shape of early Chinese currency.
• Ducks are symbols of fidelity and joy.
• Poultry with heads still attached symbolise a phoenix rising from the ashes to be reborn.  Of course, once reborn it will need its head!
• Fish are equated with prosperity, luck, wealth and regeneration or fertility.
• Mushrooms have a blossoming nature and shape, and are therefore equated with prosperity.

Food is the face of countries and cultures, an ambassador if you like. Look around Asia and you’ll see that food is a major tourist attraction: sushi for Japan, curry for India, laksa for Malaysia . . . an interest in food is a driver of relationships. After all, there’s no better way of bonding over delicious meals.

4. More positive views . . . at least in the Western world

A 2015 poll conducted by the Pew Research Centre, a US-based independent think tank, suggested that Australians held more favourable views about China than did people in many other Western countries.

The Global Attitudes Survey was conducted via more than 45,000 telephone and face-to-face interviews with adults in 40 countries. It found 57 per cent of Australians viewed China favourably, while 33 per cent held negative views about Australia’s biggets trading partner. 

But Australia’s counterparts in the West thought differently, offering only tepid suppport for China — Germany (34 per cent), the US (38), Canada (39) and the UK (43). At the same time, numbers of people holding negative views about China exceeded those in Australia.

Furthermore, 77 per cent of Australians see China as an economic partner, with only 15 per cent viewing it as a military threat. More than half of the sample (66 per cent) also predict that China will eventually become the world’s leading power, almost on a par with the view from China itself (67 per cent).

Australian support for China came despite rumblings over its recent disputed activities in the South China Sea: 39 per cent of Australians see it posing a threat militarily to Australia in the next 20 years, down from 48 per cent in 2014.

Similarly, the findings leapfrog those of a BBC World Service survey that found 47 per cent of Aussies viewed positively China’s influence in the world, compared to 44 per cent who thought otherwise. Those findings were in marked contrast to the previous year which recorded mostly negative views of China.

The Pew findings seem to suggest that more Australians are willing to accept a brighter take on China’s rise, with growing interest in Chinese culture, increasing numbers of Australians learning Mandarin and increased travel opportunities helping to shift perspectives.

5. Thriving sphere of bilateral youth engagement and exchange

“Education starts with the young” says the Chinese proverb often borrowed by parents to underscore the importance of early learning. Connecting cultures also relies on increasingly better informed leaders. As a tech-smart generation, 20-something Australians and Chinese are a strong force for generating discussion and awareness. And they are the core of a thriving array of youth programs that have been quietly building bridges between China and Australia in recent years.

A legion of youth-led programs, non-government organisations (NGOs) and other services are now shaping big ideas: the Australia-China Youth Association, the Australia-China Youth Dialogue, the Australia-China Young Professionals Initiative, the Engaging China Project . . . the list goes on. Many of these organisations are connecting thousands of young Australians and Chinese through academic, cultural and professional exchanges, drawing high-level government and university support.

Joslyn Ma, of Australia-China Youth Association (ACYA), believes a stronger emphasis on the importance of Chinese and Australian exchanges is attracting young people like herself to the scene.

“The two countries have always been exchanging in one way or another; for example, buying each other’s products for one.”

She added: “But now, in Australia, access to resources from China has got even easier.”

As president of education for the association, Ms Ma is spearheading many exchange programs, having joined the organisation in 2014. One example is the ACYA Bilingual Language Competition, an initiative that aims to help students from China and Australia better understand each other via language. Fluent in both Mandarin and English, the Victorian International Education Awards finalist said she had always wanted to “make a difference” to her community.

“I’ve always believed that at the basis of relations is communication and understanding,” she said. “But I also saw a gap between the resources out there and the level of interest in understanding.”

“I’ve always believed that at the basis of relations is communication and understanding. But I also saw a gap between the resources out there and the level of interest in understanding.” — Joslyn Ma, youth leader

As bilateral activities continue to grow, Australia’s federal and state governments are encouraging ‘China-literacy’ — skills that allow people to effectively engage with China via language or cultural understanding. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, for example, talked about his own experience engaging with China when addressing the 2015 China-Australia Youth Dialogue in Brisbane. Having studied Chinese during his university years, Mr Rudd is known for his fluent Mandarin and strong connections with China.

Ms Ma said that for young people, China skills were also employable skills. Through programs like ACYA, she said, Australian and Chinese youth are able to gain valuable experience that companies increasingly needed to tap into one of the world’s biggest markets.

“Chinese connections, the ability to speak the language . . . these are the things that definitely help people get jobs,” she said.

And it spurred the need for both countries to grow closer, to take an active interest in building mutually beneficial relationships and opportunities for the future.