Leader who sowed seeds of trust

China is mourning the loss of a dear old friend - former Australian prime minister Gough Whitlam, who died on Tuesday, a man who will always be remembered as a major figure in China-Australia relations.

For more than 40 years, Whitlam's name has been etched into the annals of China's history, as one of the Western leaders who made a difference in Australia's relationship with the Asian country.

Decades after then-Chinese premier Zhou Enlai and Whitlam established diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1972, Whitlam continued to receive regular visits from Chinese diplomats and politicians.

Whitlam's efforts in forging diplomatic relations with Chinese leaders Mao Zedong and premier Zhou were the single most important event in relations between China and Australia in the 20th century, and remain the foundation of the relationship today.

They sowed the seeds of trust and mutual respect, which overcame fear and suspicion. It became a time for friendship and trade to flourish.

Whitlam strongly believed in the importance of closer ties with China. In 1954, Whitlam, who was then an member of Parliament, said: "It is about time that ... we recognized the communist government of China."

In 1971, Whitlam visited China as the opposition leader, where he met Zhou in his first meaningful contact with Chinese leaders since the People's Republic of China was established in 1949.

An Australian journalist covering the visit wrote: "The Zhou-Whitlam debate is one of those unexpected dramatic events that make or break political reputations because they capture the public imagination. It will become a part of Australian political folklore and Mr. Whitlam is the beneficiary."

After Whitlam secured the Australian Labor Party's election win in 1972, and on his first day in office as prime minister, he started negotiations to establish diplomatic relations with China.

Many of China's top officials remembered the tall Australian politician in his previous visit. As a result, it was possible to complete the talks in record time. While it took years for some Western countries to negotiate their agreements with China, the Whitlam government had finished the process in a matter of weeks.

Whitlam landed in Beijing on Oct 31, 1973, and became the first Australian prime minister to visit China. As his motorcade drove into the Chinese capital, loudspeakers on the roadside played famous Australian songs Click Go the Shears, The Road to Gundagai, and Waltzing Matilda, as well as Chinese folk songs.

Whitlam spent a total of 17 hours in conversation with Zhou and as one Australian official observed, "When two countries haven't talked for 23 years, there is a lot to be said."

After a historic meeting with Chairman Mao, Whitlam referred to his China visit as the culmination of Australia's own "Long March".

"A generation of lost contact between our peoples has ended," he said.

During the landmark visit, a A$250-million agreement was signed on sugar importation from Australia. In today's terms that is approximately A$2 billion ($1.76 billion). The deal is seen as the official start of trade between China and Australia after 1949.

But trade is only one part of a whole picture. People-to-people contacts between the two countries have grown immensely.

A record number of Chinese tourists have been spending their vacations in Australia. More than 88,000 Chinese students are studying in Australia, and more young Australians are studying the Chinese language than ever before.

(China Daily 10/22/2014 page11)