Sino-Australian youth project set to reshape ties

An ambitious Sino-Australian youth-driven project will fundamentally reshape ties between the nations and lead to a renaissance in bilateral enterprise, an Australian government minister said on Thursday.

With relations between the two countries at a critical juncture, the Australian government has placed a major focus on building entrepreneurship, innovation and the international capabilities of Australian businesses learning and growing with China, Minister of Small Business Bruce Billson told Xinhua News Agency.

The China Australia Millennial Project will enhance the innovation infrastructure and lead to "long-term outcomes for the next generation of cross-border leaders", according to Billson.

The project was launched last week in Shanghai by Mike Baird, premier of the Australian state of New South Wales.

The inaugural China Australia Millennial Project will be a five-day event in May 2015 staged in collaboration with Vivid Ideas, the Asia-Pacific region's annual celebration of innovation, creativity and community.

The event will bring 100 innovators ages 18 to 35 to Australia from China and match them with 100 like minds to share five days of ideas, imagination and action.

"Successful applicants will be asked to work together to consider challenges common to both countries before being given an opportunity to pitch their ideas to compete for grants, venture capital, and consideration in the Premier's Innovation Initiative," Baird said.

Billson added, "Initiatives like the project will drive a renaissance in enterprise in Australia by bringing together 200 young innovators from Australia and China for a five-day summit."

Andrea Myles, the project's architect and chief executive, said it will connect, engage and feature the most outstanding 200 ideas and the young people who conceived them. They will engage in "five intense days of brain-storming, mentoring and re-imagining, climaxing with the presentation of market-ready concepts".

Myles, a China engagement expert with a track record of cross-border leadership, believes the project's bold vision can re-energize the two-way relationship.

"Young people stand to lose or gain the most in this relationship, not the opinionated billionaires that unfortunately seem to dominate the public dialogue," she said. "The project aims to empower young people by taking their innovation, their imagination and their vision and fast-tracking it to a reality."

Philipp Ivanov, manager of the Australia-China Council at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the project is supported, among many other government and private sponsors, by the council.

It sees the project as a "new platform with significant potential to enable future champions of bilateral engagement to meet, build relationships and make practical contributions to Australia-China relations and broad global challenges".

Billson added,"The event will give young entrepreneurs from both countries the opportunity to tackle common issues and produce real outcomes through innovative thinking and collaboration with industry."

Xinhua in Sydney