ACFS WA Newsletter › wp-content › uploads › 2018 › 04 › 2018-J… · To promote friendship and understanding between the peoples of Australia and China. To provide assistance

Australia China Friendship Society WA Page 1 ISSUE ONE JANUARY 2018

ACFS WA Congratulates Consul General Mr LEI Kezhong and Madame Xing Chao on the

Successful Hosting in Perth to Celebrate the 45th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations. Front row 3rd and 4th from left: Madame Xing Chao and Consul General LEI. Event article featured on page 4.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018 UPCOMING EVENTS - Details to follow soon !

Year of the Dog

16th February 2018 to 4th February 2019

Chinese New Year Dinner 27 February 2018

Join our friends from the Confucius Institute UWA

and Chinese Language Teachers' Association of WA

to celebrate a Prosperous and Healthy Chinese New

Year !

Inner Mongolia Arts University

Performance in Perth on 23 February 2018

A Splendid Finale to 2017 - Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of

Diplomatic Relations between Australia and China

ACFS WA Newsletter Australia China Friendship Society Western Australia

西澳澳中友好协会 OUR AIMS

To promote friendship and understanding between the peoples of Australia and China. To provide assistance to social welfare and education projects in The People's Republic of China.

ACFS WA Annual General Meeting 24 March 2018

Notice of AGM, Call for Agenda Items and Committee

nomination forms will be distributed to membership

shortly.

NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS

Friendship Award to Professor Chu - p.3

ACFS WA Commemorative Book - p.4.

ACFS WA Scholarship Fund - Project Hope p,5

ACFS Photography tour - p.6

Memorial to Nanjing Massacre - p.7


President’s Report October - December 2017

This report covers the last quarter of 2017 when

all our efforts reached the harvest stage!

I have to especially mention the working team

which produced our Commemorative book. It has

been an intensive working period. Despite the

email communication and meetings held for the

team members, the amount of the work was huge

in such a short time frame with the discussion,

compilation of material, correction, and proof

reading … again and again until it was just right.

The team was under much pressure to meet the

deadline without compromising accuracy. David

Kininmonth hopped straight into the work as soon

as he returned from his holiday and spent huge

amount of time editing the book. Teresa not only

spent time on correcting the content, but also

visited the other senior members in order to

collect and correct information for the book.

Roz, also spent a lot of time in helping, providing

information, repeated checking… of course, with

the help from other members.

The important factor is that we made it! We

turned the impossible into possible!

ACFS WA with its Commemorative Book, became

a brilliant scenery at the Celebration Dinner

function of the 45th Anniversary of China

Australia Diplomatic Relations held by the

Chinese Consulate General on 19th December.

Our members and friends enjoyed a memorable

evening at our Annual Award Dinner in October

and the wonderful Christmas Picnic in December.

Our traditional Christmas Picnic – another

enjoyable annual event of ACFS WA, was

successfully held on 10 December 2017. It is

worth mentioning that some people had received

the information from overseas and joined the

picnic and also mentioned that they were our

members years ago and re-joined ACFS at the

Picnic. It is a great sign that our influence is

expanding. The inspirational news “The

Consulate General in Perth held a Christmas

party with ACFS WA ” was on the Chinese

Ministry of Foreign Affairs website the next

day and this information was provided by

someone who is not a member of ACFS WA.

Again, Chance, together with his team members

and also the help from others, successfully

organised each of our events!

2018 begins a new year of Friendship events,

with Chinese New Year activities being planned.

Wishing all members and your families, a HAPPY

NEW YEAR and Wonderful 2018.

Yours in Friendship,

Nancy Chen

ACFS WA President


INAUGURAL ACFS WA FRIENDSHIP AWARD GALA DINNER - 2017

A joyous GALA dinner was held on 12 October 2017 to celebrate the Inaugural Australia China

Friendship Society WA Friendship Award, China's National Day and the Mid Autumn Festival.

ACFS WA hosted this special event in partnership with the Confucius Institute at UWA and the

Chinese Language Teachers’ Association of WA.

Special appreciation to long supporting member Mr Zheng Wei QIU who presented a very generous

donation to ACFS WA on the festive evening to further the Society's Friendship aims.

2017 Award Presentation to Inaugural ACFS WA Friendship Award recipient, Professor CHU Xianhua,

Associate Director of Confucius Institute at UWA. Deputy Consul General Mrs Sun Anlin (left) and

Nancy Chen, ACFS WA President (right).

Nomination form submitted by Dr Xianlin Song, Confucius Institute reads in part:

Professor Xianhua CHU arrived in Perth in 2012 at a time when the Confucius Institute had only

two teachers and supported just 100 local school students. Over the next five years he

spearheaded an impressive program which now sees five teachers and 25 volunteers working at the

Institute. More than 5000 Chinese language students in almost 40 schools across WA, including in

Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie are now supported by this program. He also leads

delegations of school principals and students to China, promoting educational exchanges between

Australia and Zhejiang which have been very well received.


CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA- CHINA DIPOLMATIC RELATIONS

MEMBERS MEET OUR GOVERNOR

Celebrations for the 45th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between China and Australia were

hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Perth on 19 December 2017 at the Perth Convention

Centre.

A delegation of ACFS WA members was invited and were joined (as shown above) by the Governor of

Western Australia Her Excellency Mrs Kerry Sanderson, AM. All 170 guests were welcomed by Consul

General Mr Lei Kezhong and his wife Madame Xing Chao.

Other dignitaries who spoke were the Premier of Western Australia the Hon. Mark McGowan MLA and

the Leader of the Opposition the Hon. Mike Nahan MLA. All speakers, as well as the Host Consul

General Mr Lei, commended the excellent relations enjoyed by both nations and the trade, cultural,

education and tourism benefits enjoyed as a result of this relationship.

ACFS WA COMMEMORATIVE BOOK As the team leader, David Kininmonth can be excused his modest

look of pride as he shows the ACFS WA publication at the 45th

Anniversary Year of Diplomatic Relations Celebrations at the Perth

Convention Centre on 19 December 2017.

The first book published by ACFS WA has been released and all

financial members for 2018 will be eligible to receive a free copy

of this 63 page 1st edition.

The title is “Building Understanding ---ACFS WA Reflects on the

45th Anniversary of the Diplomatic Relations between Australia

and China". The content covers the contribution made by ACFS in

Western Australia to this relationship.

David Kininmonth was assisted by several members in the

compilation of information and production into a readable text

which records for the first time the development of ACFS WA and


its work on several fronts but always aimed at the promotion of friendship and understanding between

the two nations.

Complimentary copies will be distributed to members at the ACFS WA AGM. Members not present at

the AGM may request their free copy thereafter. Donations towards the ACFS WA for additional

copies would be greatly appreciated to assist the Society’s Friendship activities.

CHRISTMAS CHEERS from 2017 ! Thank you to our Chinese Consulate friends and all

members for sharing a super fun festive Christmas picnic along Banks Reserve last December.

NEWS FROM THE BEIJING FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION ABOUT

PROJECT HOPE STUDENT YANG YILONG,A RECIPIENT OF THE ACFS

WA SCHOLARSHIP.

Roz Hanley

During my October 2017 visit to Beijing, I was given the task

of handing over the ACFSWA $500 Annual Scholarship Fund

to the Beijing Friendship Association. At the same time, I

gave Mr ZHI Jianjun (Division Head of the Association) a

collection of Australian and International stamps which I

had collected over many years.

Earlier this month, I was delighted to receive news about my

stamp gift which was given to two Project Hope scholarship

students.

Attached is a photo of Yang Yilong, showing an album

containing stamps he has received. He was very happy to

receive the stamps and will gain much knowledge when he

investigates the countries that the stamps are from.

I will continue to collect stamps to give to Project Hope students and invite members to join me in this

worthy project.


INFORMATION SESSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR - GUILIN, CHINA,

2018

Members interested in participating in the photography tour to China in September are invited

to an Information Session on Friday, 9 February.

The tour details feature on pages 9 to 11 of this Newsletter. The tour has been created by

ACFS and the National Tour Director Roz Hanley will attend the session to answer questions

from prospective participants and to meet the tour leader Susan Moss.

The tour dates are 18 - 29th September 2018 and the full itinerary and booking form can be

seen on Susan’s website http://susanmossartandphotography.com/china-tour-.html

The information session will be held at Forsyth Gardens, 15 Plantation St, Menora, at 2pm

where there is onsite parking. Afternoon tea will be served. Replies by Monday, 5 February

to [email protected] please.

Join the Photography Tour !

The rice will be golden in the rice terraces

prior to harvest and the Li River will beckon

for an early morning shoot.

http://susanmossartandphotography.com/china-tour-.html

mailto:[email protected]


The Rape of Nanjing Remembered

Dr Neville Green AM

On 13 December 2017, ACFS members Roz

Hanley, Fran Kininmonth and I were guests of the

Chung Wah Association and CWA President

DING Shao Ping, to remember the 80th

anniversary of the massacre of an estimated

300,000 men women and children at Nanjing that

began on 13 December 1937.

In 1937, Nanjing was Nanking the Capital of the

Republic of China; Beijing was Beiping and

Guangzhou was Canton. The second Sino-

Japanese war began on 7 July 1937 with an

incident at the Lugou Bridge and ended in August

1945. The bridge, better known as the Marco

Polo Bridge because it was recorded by Polo in

1189 AD, is about 15 kilometers from Beijing, and

the bridge and the nearby Wanpin Fortress,

attract many Chinese tourists.

By 10 December 1937, the foreigners, the

wealthy, and tens of thousands of citizens and

most of the militia, had left Nanjing ahead of the

Japanese and their place was taken by uncounted

refugees and troops retreating from Shanghai.

The number trapped within the walled city of

Nanjing is guesswork. An American journalist

witnessed the scorched earth policy that added

to the refugees: “The principle behind it was not

to leave anything that could be useful to the

conquerors. As they beat a retreat from Jurong

(Kuyun), about 40 kilometers southeast of

Nanking, Chinese troops set torches to not only

buildings but also to trees, bamboo groves and

underbrush… whole villages burned to ruins.”

I spent several days exploring Nanjing the city,

walking on the remnant of the great wall and

visited the magnificent memorial museum that

preserves the memory of the estimated

300,000 killed in the Nanking massacre. Allow

at least half a day to see the museum and the

recorded burial sites outside.

As the Japanese approached Nanking, an

international rescue committee, led by business

man John Rabe and missionary Minnie Vautrin,

established an international safety zone that at

its peak, held 20 refugee camps, each with 200

to 12,000 people. Rabe returned to Germany

and died in poverty in 1950. Minnie could not

shed the haunting memories of Nanking and

home in America she committed suicide in 1941.

Both are honoured in considerable detail in the

Memorial Hall. Go online for further

information regarding “The Basic facts on the

Nanking massacre and the Tokyo war crimes

trial."


The massacre at Nanking was

broadcast around the world. This

was in The West Australian of 29

January 1938 (edited for space

by Neville Green).

NANKING TERROR

JAPANESE BARBARITY

SLAUGHTER, RAPE AND

LOOTING

“An authentic account of the

appalling atrocities perpetrated by

Japanese soldiers in Nanking after

the capture of the city on December

13. On the evidence of

eyewitnesses, the Japanese

authorities did nothing to curb the

unspeakable crimes of Japanese

troops committed in the full view of

the Japanese Embassy staff. One

American missionary saw bodies in

every street while walking with the

Japanese Consul-General long after

the city was occupied. Similar

atrocities occurred at Hangckow

(Hangzhou).

Reports coming from Hong Kong,

d e s c r i b e w h o l e e x e c u t i o n s ,

rape and looting during the

Nanking terror. Chinese were

slaughtered and thousands of

women, including young girls, were

outraged.

One boy died in hospital with seven

bayonet wounds in his stomach,

stated a missionary describing the

atrocities on the first day of the

occupation. A woman in hospital was

raped 30 times, after which

Japanese soldiers, tried to behead

her with a bayonet. Soldiers rushed

into a Temple where 1,500

refugees were sheltering. They

killed the Mother Superior and a

novice of eight years of age and

outraged four women and carried

off six. Hundreds more cases of

rape were reported in other parts

of the city.

The Chairman of the Nanking

University wrote to the Japanese

Embassy on December 17: “The

reign of terror and brutality

continues in plain view of your

buildings and among our

neighbours. Last night soldiers

came repeatedly to the university

library, where there were crowds

of refugees, and demanded women,

money and watches at the bayonet

point. They bayoneted a woman

member of the staff and shot her

in the hip. A girl of twelve was

criminally assaulted. The Dean of

the University has reported that

three soldiers raped a girl of

thirteen.”

Other witnesses describe similar

atrocities on a vast scale, husbands

bayoneted and shot when defending

their wives, and missionaries being

threatened with revolvers when

they attempted to interfere.

An American missionary, writing to

the Embassy on December 19, says:

“Chinese were marched off and

shot in droves. Three hundred were

taken to a pond and shot as they

stood in the icy water. Another

batch was forced into a mat shed,

which was ringed with machine-

guns. The shed was set on fire and

all were burnt to death.”

Peace Memorial in Nanjing





KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ACFS WA VIA THE WEBSITE: http://www.acfswa.org

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS DUE for 2018

A kind reminder that membership renewals for 2018 must be received prior to the start of the AGM

to entitle voting rights. Membership forms for new and renewing members can be downloaded from

the website. Please contact Arnold van Son for any membership enquiries on 0411 166 964 or

[email protected]

NEWS ITEMS INVITED The ACFS WA Newsletter is published every three months and the next

deadline for submissions is 31th March. Just send contact details and articles to The Editorial Working

Group at [email protected]

http://www.acfswa.org/

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

ACFS WA Newsletter › wp-content › uploads › 2018 › 04 › 2018-J… · To promote friendship and understanding between the peoples of Australia and China. To provide assistance