The Australia China Friendship Society promotes better cultural understanding between people of the two countries. The society sponsors lectures, tours, and educational exchanges.
The Australia China Friendship Society (ACFS) was established in 1951 and 1952 in Melbourne and Sydney. During the 1950s and 1960s the society represented a coalition of societies whose objective was to develop friendship and peace with the people of China and the Chinese communities in Australia in an effort to foster better cultural understanding. The climax of such activities was the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1972.
After 1972, when the society’s first national president, Geoffrey Stillwell, took office, the society promoted outbound tours to China, and during the 1990s the society promoted inbound tours from China.
Eight branches of the society are located throughout Australia. Membership in a branch is open to any person or corporation who agrees with the objectives of the society and pays the membership fee. As a voluntary, nonprofit, nonsectarian, and nonracially oriented organization, the society sponsors lectures, tours, film presentations, delegate meetings, educational exchanges, classes on society, language, and history, and exhibitions that tour in both Australia and China. The society’s staff is made up of volunteers from both countries.
National presidents succeeding Stillwell in chronological order have been Jack Lazarus (Victoria), Sidney Clare (New South Wales), Bruce Johnson (Tasmania), Tom Loy (Queensland), Jeff Emmel (South Australia), James Flowers (New South Wales), and Keith Jenvey (Queensland). Loy was elected for a second term in 2008.
Further Reading
Australia China Friendship Society. (2008). Retrieved September 5, 2008, from http://www.acfs.com.au/us.htm
Source: The Editors. (2009). Australia China Friendship Society. In Linsun Cheng, et al. (Eds.), Berkshire Encyclopedia of China, pp. 118–118. Great Barrington, MA: Berkshire Publishing.
Australia China Friendship Society (Àodàlìyà-Zhōngguó Yǒuhǎo Xiéhuì 澳大利亚中国友好协会)|Àodàlìyà-Zhōngguó Yǒuhǎo Xiéhuì 澳大利亚中国友好协会 (Australia China Friendship Society)
