China has been quiet, very quiet. Too quiet. Is this about to change?
Since before Covid, the relationship between Australia and China has been complex in a number of areas, including education. In early 2021 the two countries were at a fork in the road (Campus Morning Mail 4/3/21) regarding education, with Chinese state media warning against studying in Australia and the education ministry’s announcement that Australian partnerships in China have “insufficient investment in high-quality education”. Engagement slowed, and student numbers dropped, though hard to tell how much of this was due to structured policy or Covid travel bans.
Fast forward two and a half years, and the relationship appears to be getting back on track.
Ministers Meet
The Education Ministers of Australia and China met last week as the Minister of Education for the People’s Republic of China, Professor Huai Jinpeng, made his first ministerial visit to Australia.
Minister Clare’s office put out a press release flagging the visit and what was expected. It mentioned that senior education officials would also meet with a Chinese delegation for the 6th Australia-China Education Joint Working Group on Education and Research.
After a long standoff between the countries, the fact they are talking is a good thing. Even better that they are talking about education and cooperation in education.
More telling was the statement put out from the Chinese side post the meeting, which was a positive one, especially for those who watch the nuance and subtext of language. Of note, it said:
“The visit was part of efforts to implement a significant consensus between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Albanese, with a view to strengthening cooperation between the two nations in the field of education. The Chinese delegation received a warm welcome from the Australian government and education community. The two sides held in-depth talks and reached consensus on cooperation in student exchange, joint research, cooperative programs, and digital education, among other things. During the visit, the Ministries of Education of China and Australia held the 6th meeting of the China- Australia Joint Working Group on Education and Research.”
The Koala is interested in what may come from this meeting and consensus, particularly any cooperative programs, which the Koala takes to mean traditional joint programs waiting for Ministerial approval in China.
Visa lodgements
Visa Lodgements in the period January to June have accelerated from China.
In 2019, visa lodgements were 37,480 for this period, dipping through Covid as expected. Last year, in the same period, they were 30,121, while this year, the numbers have grown significantly to 45,712 – 121 per cent against 2019. This is a very good lead indicator.
China may just about be back.
