Chinese Media Delegation to Visit Australia

Media release from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

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Eight senior Chinese media executives, representing newspapers with a
combined readership of 40 million people, will visit Australia from 29
June to 10 July.

The delegation, which was organised by the Australian Embassy in
Beijing, will focus on enhancing an understanding of Australian
technology, manufacturing and services.

It will be led by the Deputy Managing Editor-in-Chief of the People's
Daily, Mr Zhang Yunsheng. Other newspapers to be represented include
China's most influential economic newspaper, the Economic Daily, the
three leading Shanghai dailies, including the Liberation Daily and the
popular Xinmin Evening News, and Guangzhou's premier newspaper, the
Nanfang Daily.

The Chinese media plays an important role in the Chinese economic
reform process. It is a key source of information about international
expertise and capability for many Chinese decision-makers and those in
the growing enterprise sector.

While knowledge of Australia's resource-based industries is strong,
the Australian Government is working hard to improve China's knowledge
of Australia's capabilities in service industries, science and
technology, manufacturing and processing.

The delegation will visit environmental management projects, with a
particular focus on waste water management, and examine the media
technology, telecommunications, food processing and distribution and
financial services industries. The Australian Stock Exchange, Telstra,
News Ltd, Australian Associated Press, Elders, CSIRO and Market
Australia are some of the organisations to be visited.

The delegation will meet with the Minister for Trade, Senator Bob
McMullan and other senior Australian officials.

The Australian program will provide the delegation with an
introduction to some of the industries that will be a focus of the third
Australia-China Forum to be held in Shanghai in September.

For further information contact Zena Armstrong, Counsellor (Public
Affairs), Australian Embassy, Beijing on 0011 86 1 532 2331-7.