'Love For China and the Desire to Further the China-Australia Relationship'

(From left to right) Frances Adamson, Australian Ambassador to China, Jill Collins, Australian Consul-General, Guangzhou, Nancy Gordon, Australian Consul-General, Chengdu, and Alice Cawte, Australian Consul-General, Shanghai [Women of China English Monthly/Zhang Jiamin]

Women of China English Monthly (WOC) was honored to have had the opportunity, recently, to interview four impressive women from Australia. They were Australia's Ambassador and three Consuls-General to China. Frances Adamson, Australia's Ambassador to China, told WOC, "This is the first time in 41 years of diplomatic relations with China that the heads of Australia's mission and posts on the Chinese mainland have all been women. We have followed our own individual career paths to get here … so what brings us together is really our love for China and the desire to further the China-Australia relationship."

Frances Adamson, Australian Ambassador to China

Frances Adamson first visited China during the winter of 1997. "It made a deep impression on me then. I traveled from Hong Kong, where I was studying Chinese, and our main visit was to Beijing ... From that very first visit, I have to say, I have felt a strong connection between our two countries, and a strong personal connection with the people that I was meeting," Adamson says.

"Since then, there have been tremendous changes, and tremendous economic development in China … Back in 1997, in the middle of the winter, (I could see) piles of green cabbages on the streets' corners … I think Beijing and many parts of China truly have both a feeling that it is distinctively Chinese, but with a very strong connection to the rest of the world, including my home country Australia," she says.

"(The) bilateral ties have strengthened immeasurably, and so have China's knowledge about Australia and knowledge in Australia about China … This is a society that has become much more knowledgeable about the rest of the world, including about Australia.

"What hasn't changed, I think, is the friendliness of the Chinese people, the strong connection they feel with Australians, and of course, the pride Chinese people take in their history and culture, but also their openness to outside ideas," she says.

"Australia's interaction with China has deeply intensified across every area of the commercial relationship, and across every area of public policy… My job is really to support the commercial aspect of the relationship, to foster and to encourage the people-to-people aspect of our relationship, to ensure that there is culture in that relationship, as well as to maintain high-level interactions with all relevant ministries and departments of the Chinese Government. So in a typical day, I may have 10 or so appointments or activities."

As the mother of four children, Adamson says, "I think, certainly for all of our children, the opportunity to live and to go to school in Beijing has been the experience of a lifetime … Understanding other cultures and being respectful of other points of view and valuing cultural diversity are all important things … I think the world is definitely a better place when there is a high level of cross-cultural understanding, and for future generations, one needs to start with children."

About balancing work and personal life, Adamson says, "I think there are no easy answers to achieving a work-life balance. Ultimately these decisions are made within each family … In any true partnership, they need to achieve a balance of what they are particularly good at, and at what they have a particular advantage. It's not about sharing everything equally. It's more about both being able to make contributions in ways that complement each other."

What is Adamson's favorite Chinese saying? "Crossing the river by feeling the stones." That is a political, rather than a cultural, saying, and it summarizes late-Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's approach to doing things.

"I think (it means) that one should not necessarily rush into things, but to first know what's going on (and then) be careful about how you do something, particularly when it involves a challenge or a big step … I think many people's hopes are, when they are at the end of their lives, they will be able to look back with a sense of satisfaction at what they achieved in their professional lives, but also (that they raised) a happy, well-adjusted child or children. Sometimes, that means feeling one's way, being patient, not rushing into things, and crossing the river by feeling the stones."

Alice Cawte, Australian Consul-General, Shanghai

Alice Cawte first visited China, as a backpacker, in the late 1980s. "My first impression of China was that China was big, and the distance between places was far. Of course, China is still very big, but the distance is not as far. For example, the first time I came to China, one had to take half a day to get to Shanghai from Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, by train. Now, you can travel from Beijing to Shanghai within half of a day. You can eat small steamed buns in Shanghai for lunch, and have roasted duck for supper in Beijing," Cawte says. She adds that she has been amazed by the quick development of China's high-speed trains in recent years.

When Cawte began working in China, in the early 1990s, there was limited foreign trade between China and Australia. "China was eighth among Australia's trading partners back then. Now, China is Australia's largest trading partner," she says.

Cawte says being the Consul-General in Shanghai is very interesting. "I went to Jiangxi Province last year. I met a 91-year-old woman. It might not have been the first time for her to see a foreigner, but it might have been the first time for her to talk to a foreigner like me. I could see that she was very happy, and I was very happy. We used small tree twigs to write on the ground to help with our communication," Cawte says.

She says she is impressed by how much Chinese, especially college students, know about Australia. Last year, the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai hosted a contest on Australian history, and many Chinese college students participated. "They knew a lot about Australia. Australians, even me, might find some of the questions very difficult to answer. The contestants' answers were outstanding," she says. "I am honored to have the opportunity to be an Australian Consul-General in China. It has given me many unforgettable experiences."

Even though China and Australia have different cultures and histories, Chinese and Australian women face the same challenges in their efforts to achieve equality, especially when it comes to education, between men and women.

"Although Australia and China have different histories, Australian and Chinese women are facing similar responsibilities and challenges," she says.

Cawte has two children, both of whom live in China. "They love China. Of course, they need to adapt to the new environment, but it also gives them good opportunities to get to know China, and an opportunity to learn Chinese," she says.

Cawte says she does not have a secret to being a successful career woman. "It is definitely difficult to balance work and life," she says.

Australia, she notes, has implemented several policies to help its residents achieve a balance between work and family. "For example, you can take days off when your kids are sick. We have a daycare center in the Foreign Affairs Ministry building in Australia. It is convenient to take your child to work with you and leave him/her at daycare. This can help women and men balance their work and lives," Cawte says.

Jill Collins, Australian Consul-General, Guangzhou

Jill Collins first visited China in 1987, to study Mandarin. The first city she visited was Guangzhou, in Guangdong Province. She traveled from there to Nanjing, where she studied for a few months.

"China was completely different in those days … Now, everyday life is easier, but it is also much more complex … I was impressed by the way you could keep in contact with people in China over the years. You could form very good connections," she says.

Collins has had many interesting experiences as Australia's Consul-General in Guangzhou. "The highlight for me is being able to make things happen between Australia and southern China. We have just set up a business council in Guangdong, between Australia and Guangdong. It is the first time that we have done this kind of activity with a province in China, and it is really important and of great significance. I like (having the opportunities) to help make connections between people."

In addition to working on various commercial projects, Australia's Consulate-General in Guangzhou also promotes projects related to women and children. "We recently established a volunteer program with Guangdong Women and Children's Hospital, because Sydney Children's Hospital Network provides teaching (e-learning) to the doctors and nurses in Guangdong Women and Children's Hospital. It's all for child-health education. So what we do to support that is we set up the volunteer program at the Consulate-General, so a lot of women in the Consulate-General, and volunteers in the community, now go to the hospital once a week and help care for babies and look after children.

"What strikes me about that is the level of trust they put in us as volunteers. We can go into the ward with the little, premature babies and help the nurses to do tasks and take care of them. The level of trust they place in the Australian volunteers is very high, and we think that is really special," she says.

Collins has worked in various cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. She says she prefers the weather in Guangzhou, likes the food in Beijing, and likes the bustle of Shanghai. "Guangzhou has been transformed in the last three or four years. It has become a very livable city. Actually, the connection between Guangdong and Australia is very strong. For example, more students go to Australia from Guangdong than any other province in China. And more tourists go from Guangdong than any other province in China," she says.

Collins sometimes cooks Chinese food for her family. Her favorite Chinese dish is lion's-head casserole. "I have a funny story about when I was back in Australia shopping at the supermarket. I went with my daughter. We were in the meat section, and my daughter asked, 'What shall we cook this weekend?' I said, 'Why don't we make lion's-head?' The person next to me turned around, and was shocked because she didn't have the cultural understanding about the dish. After that, I was very careful," Collins says.

About balancing work and life, she says, "I think the other important element, for any career woman, is compromise. For example, in my family, we are very flexible. Sometimes, when I have a very busy (time), my family members and my husband make compromises for me. But there are also times in life when I can make compromises for them, when I can give up what I want for them. So, I think compromise and supporting each other is really important for any career person with a family," she says.

Nancy Gordon, Australian Consul-General, Chengdu

Nancy Gordon made her first trip to China in 1998, when she arrived to study Chinese. She went to Shanghai, and she was immediately struck by the blend of the old and new buildings and traditions.

"I stayed in Shanghai for four years. Now I'm back (in China). I arrived in August last year to take up my position as Australia's first Consul-General in Chengdu," she says. "Chengdu is now at an interesting stage of development … I think probably the most striking thing (is) the blend. Chengdu still manages to keep a lot of its old charm and character, while also developing very fast.

"I've only been in Chengdu for a few months, so it's all still very new … one of the most exciting things … our Governor-General visited Chengdu. She visited Beijing as part of a State visit, and she visited Chengdu for the Western China International Fair. As part of that visit, we went to see some children at Huaxi Hospital. (They had received) hearing implants, with Australian technology. The children gave a presentation to the governor general, to show how they learned to speak as a result of (the transplant)."

When talking about gender equality in the diplomatic service, Gordon says, "I think around 27 percent of Australia's heads of missions … are women. It's becoming more and more. Maybe one day it will be 50 percent.

"But I think it's important that men have the opportunity to take time off and participate in family life … It needs to be an equal sharing of roles, both in the workplace and also in the household … I think (it is good to) find an opportunity for men to take time out of their careers when the children are young and (to have) a good system that a child can be looked after by either family or childcare system."

Gordon has a nine-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son. "My son goes to a Chinese school, and my daughter goes to an international school. He is having a big adventure … He is learning (Chinese), and is picking it up quite fast. It is a big challenge for him. I want him to have the opportunity to see China."

When talking about Chinese and Australian cultures, Gordon says, "Australia is an immigrant country, so our culture is very varied and diverse … When we talk about Australian culture, Australian culture is really a mix of many different cultures. That makes us Australian.

"But I am also very interested now, while I am in southwestern China, in discovering all the varieties in China … I know many people think that China is mainly Han Chinese, but since I am in southwestern China, (I see) many different minority groups. There are Tibetan communities, and the Yi, Hui and Naxi people in Yunnan. I think that variety is something that (has helped to make) Chinese culture so strong, and so interesting.

"Of course, if you look at our cultures, they are very different, and we have very different histories. But when you talk about culture, in terms of how we do day-to-day business and how we go about our lives, I think what surprises me is that the cultures are really very similar. The differences are very much on the surface, and they are very superficial. Really deep down, most people are the same everywhere. Really, the more I travel, and the more I go to different places, what surprises me is that cultures are very, very similar. So the similarity strikes me, rather than the differences."

(Source: Women of China English Monthly February 2014 Issue)