As had been discussed in the first article in this series of articles on China literacy in Australia and the level of China literacy that exist among the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of China literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (and this had particularly been the case when it comes to the level of China literacy that exist among students who re undertaking study at educational institutions that are located at the tertiary level of the Australian education system), in recent decades, governments that had been located across all three levels of the Australian political system (and this had particularly been the case when it comes to governments that are located at the federal level of the Australian political system) had placed a strong emphasis on both the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution is located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system) in order to better prepare members of the general Australian populace, and in particular students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (and especially students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located at the tertiary level of the Australian education system) for both the challenges, as well as the opportunities, that had been presented by the “Asian Century” and the rise of Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories. When it comes to governments encouraging students to undertake study of Asia and Asian languages other than English at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system, governments, as well as think tanks, had released both policy papers, as well as white papers, that had been aimed at increasing the level of Asia literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question is located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system).

However, despite the active encouragement from governments that had been located across all three levels of the Australian political system (and in particular from governments that are located at the federal level of the Australian political system, although an argument could be made that in recent years, there had been a gradual decline in the number of academic programs that specialise in the teaching, as well as the study, of Asia and Asian languages other than English (and in particular academic programs that specialise in the teaching, as well as the study, of the four Asian languages other than English that were identified as ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English in the Australia in the Asian Century white paper, of which the Chinese (Mandarin) language was one of the four Asian languages other than English that were identified as ‘priority’ Asian languages other than English), with the focus of the various Australian governments (and in particular governments that are located at the federal level of the Australian political system, although an argument could be made that this has also been the case among governments that are located at the state level of the Australian political system) has instead placed a stronger emphasis on both the teaching, as well as the study, of subjects that are in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields of study at the expense of subjects that are in the HASS (Humanities, the Arts and Social Sciences) fields of study. When it comes to both the teaching, as well as the study, of subjects at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution is located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system) can be influenced by the state of the various relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories, and this had particularly been the case in regards to the various relationships that exist between Australia and the People’s Republic of China (whether the relationship that exist between Australia and the People’s Republic of China that is in question is diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people), which, as will be discussed throughout the course of the fourth and fifth articles in this series of articles that is looking at China literacy in Australia and the level of China literacy that exist among the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of China literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institution in question is located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system, and this had especially been the case in regards to the level of China literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located at the tertiary level of the Australian education system) has had negative ramifications for, not only the level of Asia literacy (and in particular the level of China literacy) that exist among the general Australian populace, but also the level of Asia literacy (and in particular the level of China literacy) that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (and in particular the level of China literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located at the tertiary level of the Australian education system); and that an argument could be made that the decline in the level of Asia literacy, and in particular the level of China literacy, that exist among members of the general Australian populace can also have negative ramifications for how members of the general Australian populace views the People’s Republic of China more generally.

It has often been argued that when it comes to the various relationships that exist between Australian and the People’s Republic of China (whether the relationship that exist between Australia and the People’s Republic of China that is in question is diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people) – which are the most important relationships that exist between Australia and the constituent nation-states and territories of Asia – the attitude that members of the general Australian populace has towards the People’s Republic of China, and the various relationships that exist between Australia and the People’s Republic of China can be influenced by how the People’s Republic of China (as well as Asia and its constituent nation-states and territories more generally) is taught at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (and in particular educational institutions that are located at the tertiary level of the Australian education system), as having a high level of China literacy (as well as having a high level of Asia literacy more generally) can be beneficial for the various relationships that between Australia and the People’s Republic of China, and this is especially the case as having a high level of China literacy among the general Australian populace can reduce the level of fear that members of the general Australian populace has of the People’s Republic of China, and, more generally Asia as a whole. However, and this will be discussed in much detail throughout the course of this third article in this series of articles that is looking at China literacy in Australia and the level of China literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institutions in question at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system, and this has especially been the case when it comes to the level of China literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located at the tertiary level of the Australian education system), in recent years (and this will also be discussed in more detail in both the fourth and the fifth articles in this series of articles on China literacy in Australia and the level of China literacy that exist among the general Australian populace), there had been a deterioration in the state of affairs when it comes to the various relationships that exist between Australia and the People’s Republic of China (whether the relationship in question is diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people), and an argument could be made that the encouragement from governments that are located across all three levels of the Australian political system (and in particular governments that are located at the federal level of the Australian political system, although an argument could be made that this could also apply to governments that are located at the state level of the Australian education system) for students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (and in particular students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located at the tertiary level of the Australian education system) to undertake study in subjects that are in the STEM fields of study instead of subjects that are in the HASS fields of study could be linked to the deterioration of the various relationships that exist between Australia and the People’s Republic of China.

But despite the deterioration in the various relationships that exist between Australia and the People’s Republic of China (whether the relationship that exist between Australian and the People’s Republic of China that is in question is diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people), an argument could be made that increasing the level of China literacy that exist among the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of China literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (and in particular the level of China literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located at the tertiary level of the Australian education system) is important. However, and this will be discussed in much more detail in both this third article in this series of articles on China literacy in Australia, as well as in the fourth and fifth articles in this series of articles), there had been a gradual decline in the level, depth, and quality of the teaching, as well as the study, of China and the Chinese (Mandarin) language at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system, including the number of academic programs that specialise in the teaching, as well as the study, of China and the Chinese (Mandarin) language at educational institutions across all three levels of the Australian education system, and this has had negative ramifications for, not only the level of China literacy that exist among members of the general Australian populace, but also how members of the general Australian populace views the various relationships that exist between Australia and the People’s Republic of China (whether the relationship in question is diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people).

In this section of this third article in this series of articles that is looking at China literacy that exist in Australia and the level of China literacy that exist among the general Australian populace, and in particular the level of China literacy that exist among the students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (and this has especially been the case in regards to the level of China literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located at the tertiary level of the Australian education system), I will be looking at both the teaching, as well as the study, of China and the Chinese (Mandarin) language at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system (whether the educational institutions that are located at the primary, secondary, or tertiary level of the Australian education system), and how the number of academic programs that specialise in the teaching, as well as the study, of China and the Chinese (Mandarin) language at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system can have ramifications for, not only for how members of the general Australian populace views the various relationships that exist between Australia and the People’s Republic of China (whether the relationship in question is diplomatic, economic, business-to-business, or people-to-people), but also how members of the general Australian populace views the People’s Republic of China itself. As will be discussed throughout the course of this third article in this series of articles on China literacy in Australia and the level of China literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system, having a high level of China literacy among the general Australian populace (and in particular the level of China literacy that exist among students who are undertaking study at educational institutions that are located across all three levels of the Australian education system) is important when it comes to both the development, as well as the maintenance, of the various relationships that exist between Australia and the People’s Republic of China, which are among the most important relationships that exist between Australia and the constituent nation-states and territories of Asia. But, as will be discussed throughout the course of this third article in this series of articles on China literacy in Australia, despite the fact that the various relationships that exist between Australia and the People’s Republic of China being among the most important relationships that Australia has with Asia and its constituent and territories.

You can view the entire article on my website at bhiskins.wordpress.com/2026/06…