List of ambassadors of Australia to China explained

Post:Ambassador of Australia to China
Insignia:Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Insigniasize:120px
Department:Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Incumbent:Graham Fletcher
Incumbentsince:July 2019
Residence:Beijing
Nominator:Prime Minister of Australia
Style:His Excellency
Appointer:Governor General of Australia
Reports To:Minister for Foreign Affairs
Formation:28 October 1941
Inaugural:Frederic Eggleston
Website:Australian Embassy, China

The ambassador of Australia to China is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to the People's Republic of China (PRC). The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and has lived in Beijing since 1973. The incumbent ambassador is Graham Fletcher who took up the appointment in July 2019. The ambassador's work is assisted by multiple consulates throughout the country that have visiting and reporting responsibilities, as well as handling consular and trade matters for the embassy.

Posting history

Australia's first diplomatic representative in China was Vivian Gordon Bowden, who in 1935 was appointed as a trade commissioner based in Shanghai.[1] The establishment of trade commissions in several Asian countries was an initiative of the Lyons government first announced in 1933, where previously Australian interests had been represented by the United Kingdom.[2] Bowden's office was based in the HSBC Building within the Shanghai International Settlement.[3] Bowden served until 1941 when he was transferred to Singapore, with the trade commission taken over by the new formal legation in Chongqing.[4]

Australia's legation was first accredited to the Republic of China and was located in Chongqing from 1941 to 1946, with the first Minister, Sir Frederic Eggleston, presenting his credentials to President Lin Sen on 30 October 1941. The legation later moved to Nanjing from June 1946 to 1949, initially located at 34 Peiping Road and then 26 Yihe Road. Following the Proclamation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Australian Government recalled its Ambassador from China to discuss recognition of the Communist Government.[5] The Government of the Republic of China, having retreated to Taipei, Taiwan, maintained its embassy in Australia until December 1972. In 1966 Australia opened an Embassy in Taipei.[6] In 1972, diplomatic relations ceased following the decision of the government of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam to recognise the People's Republic of China, and the Taipei Embassy closed in 1973.[7] As a result of Australia's recognition of the PRC in 1973, Australia has no diplomatic representation in Taiwan and continues economic, trade and cultural relations through the Australian Office in Taipei.

After diplomatic recognition of the PRC in 1972, Australia established an Embassy in Beijing in 1973,[8] followed by Consulates-General in Shanghai (1984), Guangzhou (1992),[9] and Chengdu (2013). The latter was opened following release of the Asian Century White Paper by the Gillard government, and calls for an expanded diplomatic footprint in China. On 9 November 2014 the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, formally opened the Australian Consulate-General in Chengdu.[10] In March 2017, an agreement was signed to establish a fifth Australian Consulate-General in 2018, to be located in the northern city of Shenyang.[11] From 1991 to 2008, the ambassador to China was also accredited to Mongolia.

List of officeholders

Heads of Mission

Republic of China, 1941–1949

Name Office Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
Ministeralign=center align=center align=right [12]
–Chargé d'affairesalign=center align=center align=right
Ministeralign=center align=center align=right
–Chargé d'affairesalign=center align=center align=right
Ambassadoralign=center align=center align=right [13]
Relations suspended

Republic of China, 1966–1973

Name Office Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
–Chargé d'affairesalign=center 1966align=center 1966align=right years[14]
Frank Bell CooperAmbassadoralign=center 1966align=center 1969align=right years[15]
align=center 1969align=center 1972align=right years[16] [17]
–Tony Godfrey-Smith Chargé d'affairesalign=center 1972align=center 1973align=right years
For Australian ambassadors after 1973 see the list of representatives of the Australian Office in Taipei

People's Republic of China, 1973–present

Name Office Other offices Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
Ambassadoralign=center 1973align=center 1976align=right years
Garry Woodardalign=center 1976align=center 1980align=right years[18]
align=center 1980align=center 1984align=right years[19]
align=center 1984align=center 1985align=right years[20]
align=center 1985align=center 1988align=right years
align=center 1988align=center 1991align=right years
Michael Lightowleralign=center 1991align=center 1996align=right years[21]
align=center 1996align=center 2000align=right years[22]
align=center 2000align=center 2003align=right years[23]
Alan Thomasalign=center 2003align=center 2007align=right years[24]
align=center 2007align=center 2011align=right years[25]
align=center 2011align=center 2015align=right years[26]
align=center align=center align=right [27]
align=center align=center incumbentalign=right [28] [29] [30]

Notes

Also non-resident Australian Ambassador to Mongolia, 1991 to 2008.

Deputy Heads of Mission

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Colin S. Heseltine19821985[31]
David Ambrose19851988[32]
Colin S. Heseltine19881992
Sam Gerovich19921997[33]
Penny Richards19972000[34]
Lydia Morton20002003[35]
Graham Fletcher20032008[36] [37]
Graeme Meehan20082012[38]
Justin Hayhurst2012November 2016[39]
Gerald ThomsonNovember 2016December 2019[40]
Jason RobertsonJanuary 2020present[41]

Consuls-General

LocationOpenConsular district
Consulate-General, Hong Kong1972Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR
Consulate-General, Shanghai1984Shanghai Municipality, Anhui, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang
Consulate-General, Guangzhou1992Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian, Hunan, Guangxi Zhuang AR
Consulate-General, Chengdu2013Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Municipality of Chongqing
Consulate-General, Shenyang2019Jilin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang

Chengdu

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Nancy Gordon30 May 20137 November 2016[42]
Christopher Lim7 November 20164 May 2021[43]
Adelle Neary4 May 2021present[44]

Guangzhou

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Maurine ChongNovember 199231 May 1996[45]
Zena Armstrong31 May 199628 September 1999[46]
John Courtney28 September 199911 September 2003[47]
Kevin Magee11 September 200325 October 2006[48]
Sean Kelly26 January 200720 November 2009[49] [50]
Grant Dooley20 November 200925 June 2012[51]
Jill Collins25 June 201211 February 2014[52]
Dominic Trindade11 February 20145 January 2018[53]
Jason Robertson5 January 201820 November 2022[54]
Anthony Aspden20 November 2022present[55]

Shenyang

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Broughton Robertson2 March 2019present[56]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: TRADE . The Sydney Morning Herald. 30,399 . New South Wales, Australia . 8 June 1935 . 4 May 2016 . 19 . National Library of Australia.
  2. Book: Schevdin. Boris. Emissaries of trade : a history of the Australian Trade Commissioner Service. 2008. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Barton, ACT. 47. 28 July 2022.
  3. News: PROTECTING LIVES OF AUSTRALIANS . . 1244 . Brisbane . 26 August 1937 . 4 May 2016 . 13 . National Library of Australia.
  4. News: No New State Commissioner For Shanghai . The Advocate . Tasmania, Australia . 3 September 1941 . 4 May 2016 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
  5. News: Ambassador to China Returning. 7 November 1949. 3. The Sydney Morning Herald.
  6. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NtpUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p5ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=7152%2C2560596 Whitlam hasn't dumped Taiwan
  7. http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/taiwan/taiwan_brief.html Taiwan country brief
  8. News: China accepts Ambassador. Michael. Jacobs. The Canberra Times. 8 January 1973. 3.
  9. News: Kerin . John . Australia to open Consulate in Southern China . 22 November 2022 . Minister for Trade, Australian Government . 11 May 1992 . ParlInfo . Media Release.
  10. News: Bishop. Julie. Address to opening of Australian Consulate-General, Chengdu, China. 21 May 2017. Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 9 November 2014. Media release. https://web.archive.org/web/20151001080236/http://foreignminister.gov.au/speeches/Pages/2014/jb_sp_141109.aspx?w=tb1CaGpkPX%2FlS0K%2Bg9ZKEg%3D%3D. 1 October 2015.
  11. News: Yongqi. Hu. New Australian consulate general planned to facilitate appliers in Northeast China. 25 November 2017. China Daily. 24 March 2017.
  12. News: Sir F. Eggleston Appointed. Australian Minister to China. 7 July 1941. 3. Queensland Times. Ipswisch, Queensland.
  13. News: Diplomat for China. 18 June 1948. 1. Recorder. Port Pirie, South Australia.
  14. News: Taiwan awaits ambassador . . 41 . 11,491 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 24 September 1966 . 12 April 2016 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
  15. News: Envoy's term finished . . 43 . 12,375 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 28 July 1969 . 12 April 2016 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
  16. News: Envoy to China named . . 43 . 12,390 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 14 August 1969 . 12 April 2016 . 11 . National Library of Australia.
  17. News: Not to be replaced . . 47 . 13,300 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 7 December 1972 . 12 April 2016 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
  18. News: New Ambassador to China announced. 23 October 1976. 1. The Canberra Times.
  19. News: New envoy to China. 16 November 1979. 9. The Canberra Times.
  20. News: Argall new envoy to China. 17 February 1984. 3. The Canberra Times.
  21. News: Ambassador for China named. The Canberra Times. 18 April 1991. 4.
  22. Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to China. Gareth. Evans. Gareth Evans (politician). 23 November 1995. Australian Government. 22 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150222114754/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1995/m138.html. 22 February 2015. dead.
  23. Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to China. Alexander. Downer. Alexander Downer . Australian Government. 8 November 1999.
  24. Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to China. Australian Government. 17 December 2002. Alexander. Downer. Alexander Downer. https://web.archive.org/web/20120326123235/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2002/fa188_02.html . 26 March 2012.
  25. Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to China. Australian Government. 23 November 2006. Alexander. Downer. Alexander Downer. 22 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150222114833/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2006/fa131_06.html. 22 February 2015. dead.
  26. Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to China. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714180542/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2011/kr_mr_110320a.aspx?ministerid=2. 14 July 2014. Kevin. Rudd. Kevin Rudd. Australian Government.
  27. Ambassador to China. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714180542/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2015/jb_mr_151022.aspx. 14 July 2014 . Julie. Bishop. Julie Bishop. Australian Government.
  28. Payne, Marise . Marise Payne . 29 March 2019 . Ambassador to China. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201202071224/https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/ambassador-china. 2 December 2020 . 9 March 2021 . dmy-all.
  29. Web site: Payne, Marise . Marise Payne . Alex Gallacher: Australian Ambassador inquiry . . . 2019 . 25 October 2022 .
  30. News: Xi Jinping Accepts Credentials from Newly-appointed Ambassadors to China . Consulate General of The People's Republic of China in Chicago . United States . 28 August 2019 . 4 December 2022 .
  31. Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the Republic of Korea. Australian Government. Alexander. Downer. Alexander Downer. 2001-03-19. 12 February 2014. https://archive.today/20140212022720/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2001/fa032_01b.html. 11 January 2022. live.
  32. Downer. Alexander. Alexander Downer. DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENT: CONSUL-GENERAL IN SHANGHAI. Australian Government. 1997-10-10. https://archive.today/20080720182528/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1997/fa121_97.html. 20 July 2008. 11 January 2022. live.
  33. Web site: Mr Sam Gerovich, Ambassador for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) . Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) . https://archive.today/20150814055337/http://dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-people/homs/Pages/ambassador-for-asia-pacific-economic-cooperation-apec.aspx . 14 August 2015 . 11 January 2022 . live .
  34. Web site: The Role of the Embassy & Consulates . Australian Embassy in Beijing PRC . https://archive.today/20010109180300/http://www.austemb.org.cn/embassy2n.htm . 9 January 2001 . 11 January 2022 . live .
  35. Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the Netherlands. https://archive.today/20140317080621/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2008/fa-s030_08.html. 17 March 2014. Australian Government. 2008-02-08. Stephen. Smith. Stephen Smith (Australian politician). 11 January 2022. live.
  36. Web site: The Role of the Embassy & Consulates . Australian Embassy in Beijing PRC . https://archive.today/20060325082830/http://www.austemb.org.cn/embassy2.htm . 25 March 2006 . 11 January 2022 . live .
  37. Web site: Australian Ambassador to China . Australian Embassy China . https://archive.today/20210303145529/https://china.embassy.gov.au/bjng/Ambassador.html . 3 March 2021 . 11 January 2022 . live .
  38. Web site: Consul-General in Shanghai, China (People's Republic of): Mr Graeme Meehan . . https://archive.today/20180908085920/https://dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-people/homs/Pages/consul-general-in-shanghai-china-peoples-republic-of.aspx . 8 September 2018 . 11 January 2022 . live .
  39. Web site: Deputy Head of Mission to China (People's Republic of): Mr Gerald Thomson . . https://archive.today/20161109222906/http://dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-people/homs/Pages/deputy-head-of-mission-to-china-peoples-republic-of.aspx . 9 November 2016 . 11 January 2022 . live .
  40. Web site: Deputy Head of Mission to China (People's Republic of): Mr Gerald Thomson . . https://archive.today/20180908085802/https://dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-people/homs/Pages/deputy-head-of-mission-to-china-peoples-republic-of.aspx . 8 September 2018 . 11 January 2022 . live .
  41. Web site: Deputy Head of Mission to China (People's Republic of): Mr Jason Robertson . . https://archive.today/20211121065742/https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-people/homs/Pages/deputy-head-of-mission-to-china-peoples-republic-of . 21 November 2021 . 11 January 2022 . live .
  42. News: Carr. Bob. First Australian Consul General in Chengdu. 21 May 2017. Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 30 May 2013. Media release. https://web.archive.org/web/20140126225355/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2013/bc_mr_130530.html . 26 January 2014.
  43. News: Bishop. Julie. Consul-General in Chengdu. 21 May 2017. Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 7 November 2016. Media release. https://web.archive.org/web/20190327193907/https://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2016/jb_mr_161107.aspx . 27 March 2019.
  44. News: Payne. Marise. Consul-General in Chengdu. 24 July 2021. Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 4 May 2021. Media release. https://web.archive.org/web/20221024224948/https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/consul-general-chengdu . 24 October 2022.
  45. News: Evans . Gareth . Diplomatic appointment: Guangzhou . 22 November 2022 . Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government . 25 November 1992 . ParlInfo . Media Release.
  46. News: Evans. Gareth. Appointment of Australian Consul-General, Guangzhou.. 21 May 2017. Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 31 May 1996. Media release. https://web.archive.org/web/20140212032118/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1996/fa42.html . 12 February 2014.
  47. News: Downer. Alexander. Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General in Guangzhou. 21 May 2017. Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 28 September 1999. Media release. https://web.archive.org/web/20140212024007/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1999/fa105_99.html . 12 February 2014.
  48. News: Downer. Alexander. Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General in Guangzhou. 21 May 2017. Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 11 September 2003. Media release. https://web.archive.org/web/20140212015327/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2003/fa112a_03.html . 12 February 2014.
  49. News: Australian Consul-General arriving Guangzhou. 21 May 2017. Australian Consulate-General, Guangzhou. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 29 January 2007. Media release. https://web.archive.org/web/20140116062335/http://www.guangzhou.china.embassy.gov.au/gzho/MediaEN7.html . 16 January 2014.
  50. News: Downer. Alexander. Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General in Guangzhou. 21 May 2017. Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 25 October 2006. Media release. https://web.archive.org/web/20090602033412/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2006/fa119_06.html . 2 June 2009.
  51. News: Smith. Stephen. Diplomatic Appointment - Consul-General in Guangzhou. 21 May 2017. Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 20 November 2009. Media release. https://web.archive.org/web/20150403201412/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2009/fa-s091120c.html . 3 April 2015.
  52. News: Carr. Bob. Consul-General in Guangzhou. 21 May 2017. Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 25 June 2012. Media release. https://web.archive.org/web/20160408003718/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2012/bc_mr_120625a.html . 8 April 2016.
  53. News: Bishop. Julie. Consul-General in Guangzhou. 21 May 2017. Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 11 February 2014. Media release. https://web.archive.org/web/20180113093106/https://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2014/jb_mr_140211.aspx?ministerid=4 . 13 January 2018.
  54. Consul-General in Guangzhou. 5 January 2018. Julie. Bishop. Australian Government. https://web.archive.org/web/20190324114225/https://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2018/jb_mr_180105.aspx?w=tb1CaGpkPX%2FlS0K%2Bg9ZKEg%3D%3D . 24 March 2019.
  55. News: Wong . Penny . Consul-General in Guangzhou . 22 November 2022 . Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government . 20 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221120123622/https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/consul-general-guangzhou . 20 November 2022 . Media Release.
  56. Consul-General in Shenyang. 2 March 2019. Marise . Payne. Australian Government. https://web.archive.org/web/20210804123222/https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/consul-general-shenyang. 4 August 2021.

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