Shanghai's hosting of World Expo 2010 is a significant event for enhancing Australia-China relations writes the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith MP.

Australia recognises that, as the largest world expo in history and the first ever hosted by China, Expo 2010 is of great political and economic significance not only for China but also for the world.

As at mid-November, 228 counties and organisations had confirmed their participation.  Organisers predict at least 70 million visitors will attend, most of them from the prosperous Yangtze River delta region.

Recognising the significance of this historic event, Australia is making its largest investment ever in a world expo.

The A$83 million project reflects the current scale and future potential of Australia-China relations and our commitment to helping make the expo a success.

Australia and China have a strong friendship based on a long history of people-to-people links and the increasingly intertwined trade and investment interests of our two countries.  Chinese and Chinese Australians have played an important role in Australia’s history and made a great contribution to Australian society. We have seen rapid growth in the number of Chinese studying, visiting and working in Australia, as well as the number of Australians and Australian-educated Chinese now living and working in China.

Our relationship with China continues to broaden.  In 2008 I hosted the first Australia-China Strategic Dialogue with my Chinese counterpart, Mr Yang Jiechi.  Prime Minister Rudd’s two visits to Beijing in 2008 greatly enhanced Australia-China relations and laid a strong foundation for their positive evolution.

The Government intends to use Australia’s national pavilion - including its associated business, communications and cultural programs -to strengthen the burgeoning Australia-China relationship.

The expo will enable us to enhance our current linkages and explore new areas for cooperation in several ways.  The scale of our presence alone demonstrates to China our intention to continue building a long-term, stable relationship.  Our pavilion will provide an effective platform to host federal and state-level events with Chinese counterparts across a broad range of current and future interests, including education, climate change, resource management and energy security.

The impact of our pavilion as a vehicle for broad-reaching public diplomacy cannot be overstated. Just as we will reach senior Chinese business and government officials through our VIP program, the pavilion’s public areas will directly engage up to seven million visitors over the six months of the expo.

And an integrated and carefully targeted communications and public affairs strategy will ensure our messages are amplified beyond the confines of the pavilion and the expo site to reach a broader audience in China and overseas. Even those who do not have a chance to visit Shanghai in 2010 will be able to learn about contemporary Australia through new media technology and a sophisticated bilingual website.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to deepen Chinese understanding of Australia on a large scale.  We will bring Australia to China in a way that has never happened before, and is unlikely to be repeated, using images and sounds, quality Australian food and beverage, and engagement with friendly Australian attendants, all of whom will be fluent in Mandarin.

The $3 million pavilion cultural program, the largest investment ever made in showcasing Australia’s creative industries in a single country, will be central to our pavilion experience.  Working closely with the Australia International Cultural Council, whose 2010 Focus Country program is dedicated to China, we will present a range of performances by outstanding Australian artists, which will entertain and educate Chinese audiences about our rich and diverse culture and help promote Australia’s creative arts exports.

While providing an entertaining experience, our response to the “Better City, Better Life” expo theme will be central to our messages. We will highlight Australian expertise and innovation in areas that are of increasing interest to Chinese citizens: clean coal technology, wind and solar power, carbon sequestration, and green urban design.

On November 14, 2008, Australia was one of the first six countries to take formal possession of its expo site, and the first Asia-Pacific country to reach this milestone.  Construction of our visually striking pavilion is under way and readers who are resident in Shanghai should be able to monitor its progress as you pass the Pudong site.

I look forward to taking part in the expo and to meeting some of you at the Australian Pavilion in Shanghai in 2010.

*For more information visit: www.expo2010.com.au