The Australia-China Relations Institute (ACRI) at the University of Technology Sydney is delighted to invite our Canberra supporters to the second panel event in our ‘Ambassadors Series’ featuring former Australian Ambassadors to China David Irvine and Ric Smith.

David Irvine was Australian Ambassador to China 2000-2003. He was Director General of ASIS 2003-2009, Director General of ASIO 2009-2014 and has recently been appointed to the Foreign Investment Review Board.

Ric Smith was Australian Ambassador to China 1996-2000. He was also Ambassador to Indonesia 2001-2002, Secretary of the Department of Defence 2002-2006 and Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2009 to 2013.

Drawing on the insights of their time in Beijing, our panel will share their unique understanding of what has built the China we know today.

We will quiz them about the issues that dominated their terms; about the lessons they learnt; about the rapid changes in China that occurred on their watch and what all this means for Australia-China relations in 2016.

Join us in Canberra to hear this fascinating discussion, moderated by ACRI Director Bob Carr.