Tom Loy Comments
Tom Loy is the ACFS National President and Chairperson of Directors. He has had a long and active associaton with the Society and is also a member of the Queensland Branch.

Since 2006, Australia China Friendship Society Limited has been the legal successor to the former Australia China Friendship Society National Council Inc, after an organizational constitutional reform supported by the majority of the former branches. Our aims and objectives remain essentially the same, that is, to promote better mutual understanding and friendship between the people of the Commonwealth of Australia and the People’s Republic of China.

In 1952 this broad objective of understanding and friendship was shared by various regional groups and developed into local societies in the 1950 and 1960 decades. Our Society has a combined history close to 60 years, before and after the establishment of diplomatic relations between Australia and China in 1972.

Before 1972, our activities were focused on promoting peace and friendship with the people of China and the local chinese communities in an effort to create better mutual cultural understanding. These activities served effectively to create a better relationship between Australia and China, the climax of which was the establishment of diplomatic relations.

After 1972, when the ACFS National Council Inc. had been established, the society was heavily involved in promoting outbound tours to China, with involvement also in inbound tours from China in the nineties decade. We believe these exchanges of tours had certainly enhanced our two peoples’ sharing of different cultural values and friendship.

Recently, ACFS Ltd held its second Biennial Conference in Brisbane from April 25 to 27 2008 attended by Directors and Delegates from six  member branches as well as representatives from the Beijing Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Two non-financial member branches were invited to attend with a view to sharing our great course of friendship with them.

On April 25, at the Bill Morrow Memorial Lecture, Professor Colin Mackerras from Griffith University spoke on the topic of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, its history, culture, religion and the economy with the presentation extremely well received.

On April 26, the Consul-General Mr. Ren Gongping of the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Brisbane was invited to open the ACFS Ltd 2008 Biennial Conference supported by our visiting Chinese friends Mr. Xie Yuan from Beijing and Messrs. Xiao Chong and Wu Fei from Shanghai.

On April 26 after several workshop discussions, the conference elected in accordance with our constitution a new management team consisting of new delegates and directors from Member-Branches with appointed Officers Tom Loy as National President and Chairperson of Directors, Keith Jenvey as immediate-past President, Joe Montero as Senior Vice-Chairperson and Outbound Tour Officer, Roz Hanley as Junior Vice-Chairperson and Inbound Tour Officer, Craig Skinner as National Secretary, Graham Bennett as National Financial Officer and Brian Hassell as National Website Manager.