Whitlam and China
The establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China was the end of a long journey for Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. It was the culmination of decades of advocacy and persuasion. It marked a profound shift in Australia's attitude toward China - a shift that Whitlam's own bold decision to visit China as Opposition Leader had helped bring about. This online exhibition tells the story of just how this shift came about, and Gough Whitlam's role in it.
The project ‘Gough Whitlam and the road to establishing formal relations with the People's Republic of China: the significance for contemporary Australian-Chinese relations’ is supported by the Commonwealth through the Australia-China Council of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is a part of the program to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Australia and the People’s Republic of China. Images courtesy of the National Archives of Australia.
