In March 2023, the Australian Academy of the Humanities sounded the alarm on the decline in our understanding and knowledge of China through a report on “ Australia’s China Knowledge Capability”.
Several other journals, including this one, also expressed dismay at the decline of learning Chinese at Australia’s schools and universities since the first years of the 21st century, when the Howard Government cut off funds earlier allocated to funding Asian languages and studies at primary and secondary level. How could we allow understanding of so important a neighbour decline for so long without effective remedial action?