15 minutes in Canberra

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work in foreign policy? Canberra is buzzing with seasoned foreign affairs and strategic policy experts, but for newcomers and mid-tier professionals, the ‘Canberra bubble’ can be tricky to navigate.

Join host Hayley Channer on the ground as she speaks with colleagues from government, academia, and the private sector, to bring you their unique policy insights and career advice in a neat 15 minutes.  

Based in Canberra, Australia, Hayley Channer is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre.

How Australia can turn around bad relations with China

Australia-China bilateral relations are at their lowest point in decades. Not only are Australia and China locked in a trade war, Canberra and Beijing remain diametrically opposed on a number of core issues. This means relations may be trapped in a downwards spiral for the foreseeable future. However, Australia does have some diplomatic off-ramps available to it.    

Dr Benjamin Herscovitch is a Research Fellow with the School of Regulation and Global Governance at the Australian National University (ANU). Ben’s area of expertise is Australia-China relations and, prior to ANU, he worked with the Department of Defence specialising in Chinese foreign policy.    

On 15 minutes in Canberra, Ben reflects back on his experience living and working in Beijing and the current state of Australia-China relations. He offers advice for reducing tensions and reminds us of the diversity of thought within China and real human connections that can be made.