STORY: Seminar held to commemorate Australian professor's teaching in China
SHOOTING TIME: May 16, 2024
DATELINE: May 18, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:29
LOCATION: BRISBANE, Australia
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the seminar
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): XIAO QIAN, China's ambassador to Australia
3. various of the seminar, Colin Mackerras and his old photos
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): COLIN MACKERRAS, Australian sinologist
5. various of the seminar, Colin Mackerras and his old photo

STORYLINE:

A seminar commemorating the 60th anniversary of Australian sinologist Colin Mackerras' teaching in China was held Thursday in Brisbane, capital of Australia's northeastern state of Queensland.

The seminar, also focused on China-Australia relations, was jointly hosted by the Chinese Consulate-General in Brisbane and the Queensland branch of the Australia China Friendship Society. It was attended by more than 80 people, including Mackerras and his family, students and friends.

Mackerras, an emeritus professor at Griffith University, went to China in 1964 and taught at the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute (now Beijing Foreign Studies University) until 1966.

Over the past 60 years, he has been engaged in Sinology research, actively promoting exchanges and cooperation between universities and cultural institutions in Australia and China and making outstanding contributions to the study of China and the promotion of Chinese culture.

In September 2014, Mackerras was awarded the Friendship Award by the Chinese government.

Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian spoke highly of Mackerras' outstanding contribution to promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges between China and Australia.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): XIAO QIAN, China's ambassador to Australia
"Overseas sinologists have left unique and profound historical marks in the magnificent history of Sino-foreign exchanges, China and foreign countries. Their extensive and profound research results have promoted the cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and foreign civilizations, and presented an accurate, multidimensional and panoramic image of China. Australia has a group of scholars like professor Colin Mackerras. Because of their deep understanding of China, Chinese culture and Chinese people, they can always strengthen their confidence in China-Australia relations, and to speak out in justice at critical moments."

Mackerras said in his speech that he fell in love with China and its people when he first went to China to teach in the 1960s and he still has that view to this day.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): COLIN MACKERRAS, Australian sinologist
"Living and working in China over 2 years, really getting to know people, getting to hear their point of view from them, rather than in a book, getting to love people. I definitely love the Chinese people. I love China and I think it's a very, very good place. And I really think it is extremely important that Australia understand and have engaged with that country.
It's in everybody's interests that we should get on with China and love it and engage with it, to trade with it, and have people-to- people relations with them. People-to-people relations with them is very important. Looking back over 60 years, it looks like a long and amazing journey."

In his concluding remarks at the seminar, Chinese Consul General in Brisbane Ruan Zongze said Mackerras is still traveling between China and Australia in his octogenarian years, persisting in introducing the real China and calling for friendship between the two countries.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Brisbane, Australia.
(XHTV)