• Dan Edwards

Image: betta design / flickr

27 January 2010The lack of Australian cultural diplomacy in China has ramifications which reach far beyond the cultural sector, writes Dan Edwards in New Matilda.

Australia's international cultural profile is not something many at home tend to think about. Given the myriad competing demands on the Federal Government's budget, many would no doubt ask why it's even worthy of attention. The Federal Government itself attaches some importance to the issue — at least at the level of rhetoric.

The reality on the ground, however, at least in our biggest trading partner China, is that few locals know anything about Australia beyond daishu (kangaroos) and Nicole Kidman — and that's exclusively through her Hollywood films.

So why does this matter?...

One of the difficulties in discussing cultural diplomacy is defining exactly what it means, since those working in the cultural sector tend to see it in broader terms than the Australian Government. A 2007 Senate Inquiry into the conduct of Australia's public diplomacy — which included the question of culture — defined it as "work or activities undertaken to understand, inform and engage individuals and organisations in other countries in order to shape their perceptions in ways that will promote Australia and Australia's policy goals internationally." The emphasis on "policy goals" reflects the instrumental approach underlying the current government's thinking.

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Image: 'The metal roo', betta design /  flickr