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About

Traditional Chinese Dancer in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge

The National Foundation for Australia-China Relations is an Australian Government initiative. We promote Australia’s national interests in relation to China through risk-informed engagement and practical cooperation in support of a stable and constructive relationship, strengthening Australia’s China capability, and engagement with Chinese-Australian communities.

Our remit covers mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The Foundation’s work is focused on three priority objectives:

  • Supporting risk-informed engagement and practical cooperation with China in Australia’s long-term interests 
  • Strengthening China capability across Australian society
  • Supporting inclusive and resilient Chinese-Australian communities

Read more about our Strategy and our work below.

Our Leaders

Our staff is drawn from a range of sectors, with extensive experience in mainland China, Hong Kong and/or Taiwan, including foreign, trade and investment policy, industry, community engagement and public diplomacy. 

Foundation chair Marina Go
Marina Go AM

Chairman

Nancy Gordon
Nancy Gordon

Chief Executive Officer

Our Advisory Board

Our Advisory Board provides advice to the Foundation on engagement with China in Australia’s national interests. Led by Marina Go AM, the Board has expertise in business, academia, government, media, the arts and science.

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The Hon Simon Birmingham

The Hon Simon Birmingham is Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Banking Association and holds directorships of Asia Society Australia and the International Banking Federation. Simon previously served as a Senator from 2007 to 2025, including nine years as an Australian Government Minister. As Finance Minister Simon helped to shape Australia’s recovery from the COVID pandemic and new security partnerships, while as Trade Minister he concluded negotiations on numerous agreements, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between Australia and 14 other Asian nations. 

Simon led the Government in the Australian Senate and served on Cabinet’s National Security and Expenditure Review Committees. He previously worked in trade focussed roles in the banking and wine industries, holds a Masters of Business Administration, and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs. 

Yin Cao
Dr Yin Cao

Yin Cao is the curator of Chinese art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. She is a board member of the newly established Museum of Chinese in Australia (MOCA) in Sydney. Ms Cao studied and worked as an art and museum management professional in China, the US, Japan and Singapore. She trained as an archaeologist at Harvard University and Peking University.

Portrait of Clinton Dines
Clinton Dines

Clinton Dines was born and raised in Queensland and subsequently lived and worked in China for 36 years, 21 as President of BHP Billiton’s China business. He was educated in Asian Studies at Griffith University in Brisbane and in business at INSEAD in France and has extensive experience as an executive in a variety of China businesses. Since 2009 Clinton has had an active career as a Non-Executive Director, serving recently on the Boards of Fonterra, Sky Renewables, Port of Newcastle, Zanaga Iron Ore and Freedom Road Travel. He was previously a Director of KAZ Minerals, Aurecon and North Queensland Airports and Executive Chairman of Caledonia Asia from 2010 to 2013. 

Courtney Fung
Dr Courtney Fung

Dr. Courtney J. Fung is Associate Professor in Security Studies in the School of International Studies at Macquarie University.  She is concurrently Non-Resident Fellow at LSE IDEAS; the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard University; at Asia Society Australia, and at the Lowy Institute. Dr. Fung was a Fulbright Scholar at Georgetown University in 2024 through the DFAT-funded Professional Scholarship in Australian-American Alliance Studies. She was previously an associate professor with tenure at the University of Hong Kong, and a post-doctoral fellow with the now-Columbia-Harvard China in the World Programme.

Portrait of Wendy Huang
Wendy Huang

Wendy Huang is the Publisher and Managing Director of the Chinese Herald, the longest-running Chinese-language newspaper in Australia, and 1688 Media Group. She manages print and digital media assets for the company, leading strategic oversight of editorial and operational activities. Ms Huang is a Board Member of the Independent Multicultural Multimedia Association (IMMA) and engages widely with Chinese-Australian communities, promoting initiatives that advance recognition of their contributions to Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Accounting and Business from Macquarie University.

Jade Little
Dr Jade Little

Dr Jade Little is the Chair of the Australia China Youth Dialogue, a track two dialogue for emerging leaders in the Australia-China relationship, and a past participant in the Australia-China High Level Dialogue. Dr Little is currently Head of Productivity (Mining) for APAC at Newmont Corporation. She previously worked for BHP, UBS and McKinsey & Company. She was The Australian Financial Review BOSS Young Executive of the Year in 2017.

Sharon Lewin
Professor Sharon Lewin AO

Professor Sharon Lewin is an infectious diseases physician and virologist and is the inaugural Director of the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity and Director of the Cumming Global Centre for Pandemic Therapeutics. Her research focuses on finding a cure for HIV and developing novel treatment strategies for COVID-19 and other pandemic respiratory viruses. She is the Immediate Past President of the International AIDS Society. She played a major role in advising the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments on the COVID-19 response. In January 2020, the Doherty Institute were the first to isolate SARS-CoV2 and share the virus globally. She has overseen important medical research collaborations with China. 

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Dr Darren Lim

Dr Darren Lim is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Politics and International Relations at the Australian National University. He researches and teaches in the field of international relations, at the intersection of international political economy, international security, and global governance. His major research interests focus on economic security, grand strategy, and Australian foreign policy.

Dr Lim hosts a podcast on Australian foreign policy called Australia in the World.

 Dr Lim received his PhD from Princeton University. Initially trained in law and economics at Monash University, he previously worked as Associate to the Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, a corporate lawyer, and researcher at International Crisis Group in Brussels.

Rory Portrait
Professor Rory Medcalf AM

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at ANU. He has three decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, academia and journalism. In government, Professor Medcalf worked as a senior strategic analyst with the Office of National Assessments. He was also an Australian diplomat, with experience in India, Japan and Papua New Guinea, and he continues to lead informal strategic dialogues with a range of Indo-Pacific powers. Under his leadership, the National Security College has become a go-to institution for whole-of-nation capability development and policy contestability. In 2022 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to international relations and tertiary education.

Mark McGowan AC
Mark McGowan AC

Mark McGowan AC was the Member for Rockingham from December 1996 until June 2023, when he stepped down as the Premier of Western Australia. He became Premier in March 2017 and during his term held various other portfolios, including Treasurer and Minister for State Development, Jobs and Trade. Mr McGowan currently holds advisory roles with BHP Limited, Mineral Resources Limited, APM Services International Ltd and Bondi Partners. Earlier in his career, Mr McGowan served as a Legal Officer in the Royal Australian Navy. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland.

Alice Pung
Alice Pung OAM

Alice Pung OAM is a Melbourne-based writer and lawyer, and an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University's School of Media and Communication. She is the author of the bestselling books that have been published internationally, and translated into Italian, German, Indonesian and Chinese. Her books are studied in schools and universities in Australia and abroad. In 2022, Alice was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for services to literature.

Jan Adams
Jan Adams AO PSM (Ex officio)

Jan Adams AO PSM was appointed Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 1 July 2022. Prior to this, Ms Adams was Australia’s Ambassador to Japan from November 2020 to June 2022 and before that Australia’s Ambassador to China from 2016 to 2019.

From April 2013 to 2016, Ms Adams was Deputy Secretary with responsibility for trade and economic issues. In this role she oversaw Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiations and the conclusion of free trade agreements with China, Korea and Japan. She previously led the department’s Free Trade Agreement Division.

Ms Adams served as Ambassador for the Environment and Ambassador for Climate Change between 2005 and 2008 and as Minister Counsellor (Trade) in Washington from 2000 to 2004.

Ms Adams joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1999 as Assistant Secretary, APEC Branch.

From 1993 to 1996, Ms Adams was an Adviser to the Minister for Trade and Minister for Industry, Science and Technology. She also previously worked in the OECD secretariat in Paris (Trade and Environment Directorates) and at the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

In 2016, Ms Adams was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to international relations through the advancement of Australia's diplomatic and free trade relationships, particularly with the United States of America, South Korea, Japan and China.  In 2007, she was awarded the Public Service Medal (PSM) for outstanding public service in pursuing Australia's international objectives on trade and the environment.

Ms Adams holds Honours degrees in Economics and Law from Monash University and is a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. She grew up in Wodonga, Victoria and is married with one adult son.

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Acknowledgement of country

The National Foundation for Australia-China Relations acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all First Nations peoples, their cultures and to their Elders, past, present and emerging.

Contact

contact@austaliachinafoundation.org.au

+61 2 6178 6888