Hidden ambassadors: how personal exchanges are shaping Australia-China relations

For a period, the relationship between Australian and China was notably shaky. But now, diplomacy has made a cautious comeback.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Beijing in November 2023, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Gough Whitlam’s landmark 1973 trip. The visit signalled a renewed commitment to stabilising this complex bilateral relationship.

In a reciprocal gesture, Chinese Premier Li Qiang made a return visit to Australia, the first by a Chinese Premier since 2017. Li participated in a series of political, economic, and cultural exchanges – announcing China would send two giant pandas to Adelaide Zoo, dining at a Chinese-Australian community banquet in Perth and attending official meetings in Canberra.

Albanese welcomed the visit as “an important milestone in stabilising our relationship with China”.

The rise of grassroots diplomacy

While high-level visits and political gestures dominate headlines, there is a more subtle force steadily reshaping Australia–China relations.

Over the past two years, a diverse cast of non-profit organisations, artists, students, educators, cultural workers and community leaders have played a vital role in renewing bilateral ties. Their tool of choice? Cultural exchanges, educational programs and shared storytelling.

Operating beneath the radar of formal diplomacy, these unofficial efforts have proven indispensable in rebuilding trust and cultivating mutual understanding between the two nations. 

But this isn’t something new. Unofficial cultural diplomacy between China and Australia has deep roots.

This grassroots diplomacy pre-dates the official diplomatic relationship – it’s evident in early trading between First Nations groups and engagement with Chinese diasporas during the gold rush.

In the late 19th century, Geelong journalist, George Ernest Morrison, was one of the earliest Australians to cultivate relationships with China.

He travelled extensively across cities like Peking and Harbin, between 1895 and 1920, engaging with a wide range of social, religious and political groups.

His travel memoir, An Australian in China, along with his vast collection of personal papers, letters, and photographs – now housed at the State Library of New South Wales – helped lay the foundation for early Australian sinology.

From the 1960s to 1990s, scholars including Ross Terrill continued to deepen cultural understanding through what he described as “personal diplomacy”.

An Australian-born China scholar, Terrill spent more than four decades travelling, teaching and writing about China, often reflecting on its political transformations and cultural complexities from a uniquely transnational perspective.

Classrooms and calligraphy

Art plays a leading role in grassroots diplomacy.

In March 2025, the Lanting Yaji – Chinese Calligraphy Exhibition, hosted by the China Cultural Centre (CCC) – an official nonprofit cultural organisation established by the Chinese government – brought the elegance of Chinese calligraphy to life.

Through live demonstrations, lectures, interactive workshops, and a hands-on experience area, the exhibition invited Australian audiences to engage directly with this ancient art form.

Education and exchange programs, too, have been powerful connectors, bringing students from both countries to learn from one another’s histories, languages and lives.

As a Fox International Fellow from Yale University currently based at the Australian National University (ANU), I’ve had the opportunity to serve as a ‘cultural ambassador’ – helping to build bridges between Australia, China and the United States.

I have found community through co-organising a reading group on Asian and Australian popular cultures and joining university seminars. After presenting my research on the global afterlife of a Taiwanese pop singer Teresa Teng at the Global China Conference in Melbourne, I was able to form new relationships and develop my research ideas.

When the Australian Studies Institute at ANU launched the inaugural Stephen FitzGerald Scholars Program, high-achieving Chinese international students came to Canberra. The program offered participants a deep dive into Australian history, institutions and civic life

This spirit of exchange extends to secondary schools as well.

When students from St Augustine’s College in Sydney visited Mojiang No. 1 High School in Yunnan, they took part in martial arts classes, chess matches, calligraphy workshops and a friendly basketball game.

Around the same time, students from Hills International College visited Hangzhou Tianmu Foreign Languages School. During lunch, they tried their hand at making dumplings – rolling out the dough, preparing the fillings and carefully folding the wrappers.

Although their technique was a little clumsy, the room was filled with laughter and excitement.

Zhang Xiaoli, a teacher from the Chinese school, noted that this kind of immersive experience helps Australian students to better understand Chinese culture.

“Each dumpling may have looked different,” she explained, “but they were all made with heart – and all were warmly embraced.”

These acts of cultural exchange may not command the same headlines as summit meetings or trade deals, but often leave a more enduring imprint.

Investing in soft power

As geopolitical uncertainties persist, it is more important than ever to invest in the soft power of culture.

Expanding youth leadership programs, joint school partnerships, cultural fellowships and touring exhibitions would allow creative practitioners from both countries to act as informal ambassadors – telling new stories and opening new channels of empathy.

Even at a time when funding for international programs can be limited, digital storytelling, virtual exchanges and bilingual media initiatives also offer accessible ways to connect.

It is through these creative encounters, often initiated by communities rather than governments, that mutual curiosity and cross-cultural understanding can grow. And when times are tough and leaders are not seeing eye to eye, these connections remain.