Australia International Cultural Council announces Major Cultural Program in China in 2010
Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith, and Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett, have announced the Australian Government’s intention to stage a major cultural promotion in China in 2010. The announcement was made at the February meeting of the Australia International Cultural Council (AICC), the Australian Government's peak advisory body on cultural diplomacy, co-chaired by Mr Smith and Mr Garrett.
Members of the AICC, drawn from heads of major cultural institutions and leaders in the arts, highlighted the importance of an active cultural diplomacy program, aimed at strengthening people-to-people links and projecting an accurate picture of Australia's values and virtues to the world.
The meeting underlined the Government's commitment to strengthening cultural engagement in support of the Government's foreign and trade policy objectives, and adopted new regional priorities. The Council selected Asia as its number one focus region over the next four years.
The meeting also agreed on country-specific proposals, including a major cultural program in China in 2010, to coincide with Australia's participation in the Shanghai World Expo. The event, one of Australia’s largest-ever international cultural promotions, will feature activities across a broad spectrum of the arts.
Ministers Smith and Garrett noted that the ongoing work of the AICC was important given well-targeted cultural diplomacy activities were an effective and valuable way to enhance Australia's regional and international relationships.
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