Sydney dialogue and dinner, from left: Prof The Hon Bob Carr; Mr Tang Yiyuan, Beijing Daily Group; Ms Cheng Yunjie, Xin Hua News Agency; Mr Lin Yan, Shaanxi Broadcasting Corporation; Mr Zhou Quan, Shanghai Media Group; Mr Li Jingji (obscured), APJC; Mr Jim Middleton, Sky News, Mr Ding Pan, William Roberts Lawyers

Challenges facing the Australian media and Australia’s economic relationship with China were the key themes of a program for senior Chinese editors and directors organised by the Asia Pacific Journalism Centre in April 2017.
 
The group, led by Mr Tang Yiyuan, deputy editor-in-chief of Beijing Daily Group, group visited Sydney and Melbourne for discussions with representatives of government, business, academia and media, as part of APJC’s on-going relationship with the All China Journalists Association.
 
In Sydney, the marketing officer for NewsMediaWorks, Charlie Murdoch outlined the challenges media organisations face in finding secure revenue streams in an age of digital advertising. At the ABC‘s Ultimo Headquarters, the group met managing editor coverage, Gavin Fang, and head of digital operations for ABC International, David Hua.

Tang Yiyuan with BHP vice president corporate affairs James Agar

At a round-table discussion and dinner with senior Australian journalists, the group shared their perspectives on the likely impact of economic growth of China’s One Belt One Road initiative. The function was co-hosted by Professor Bob Carr, director of the Australia-China Relations Institute, and Bill Petrovski, principal of William Roberts Lawyers.
 

In Melbourne, the group discussed the Victorian government’s partnership with Jiangsu province at a meeting with the Department of Economic Development’s China specialist Jason Fitts. At the headquarters of BHP Billiton, vice president corporate affairs James Agar and media relations manager Paul Hitchins spoke of the opportunities BHP in sees flowing from the One Belt One Road initiative. At the Committee for Economic Development of Australia, Professor Rodney Maddock outlined the character of investment between our two countries.
 
Chinese editors and directors involved in the program were:
 
Tang Yiyuan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Beijing Daily Group
Cheng Yunjie, Deputy Director of Local News Desk, Department of China News for Overseas Service of Xin Hua News Agency
Zhou Quan, Editorial Director of Public Policy Desk in the Media Convergence Centre of Shanghai Media Group (SMG)
Lin Yan, Executive Director of the Press Centre of Shaanxi Broadcasting Corporation
Zhang Bingshun, Division Chief, International Liaison Department of All China Journalists Association

Senior Australian and Australia-based journalists who took part in the ACRI/William Roberts hosted dinner were:

Jim Middleton (moderator), Senior Business Correspondent, Sky News
Peter Ryan, Senior Business Correspondent, ABC
Glenda Korporaal, Senior Financial Journalist, The Australian
Brian Toohey, Columnist, Australian Financial Review
Andrew Clark, Senior Writer, Australian Financial Review
Zhang Xiaojun, Director of Sydney Bureau, Xin Hua News Agency

See the flyer for our annual China Australia Journalist Exchange, run in partnership with the All-China Journalists Association.