ABSTRACT
Two major events stood out on the international landscape, with far-reaching repercussions for global affairs as well as for AustraliaChina relations. When the Howard government took office, Australia was yet to fully emerge from the 1991-92 recession. Strongly motivated by domestic considerations, the Howard government stressed the importance of foreign policy in contributing to the creation of employment opportunities and improved standards of living. The Howard government's China policy got off to a bad start. Howard's visit to China transformed the atmosphere of AustraliaChina relations and provided fresh impetus for bilateral exchanges. The overall confident tone of bilateral relations was well maintained during the latter part of the Howard era, and only occasionally punctuated by discordant notes including activities of the Falun Gong movement, the third visit of the Dalai Lama and the defection of Chen Yonglin.
