Cultural diplomacy and Australia-China cultural relations

In 1941 Ambassador R G Casey wrote from Washington urging Canberra to develop a cultural program to support diplomatic goal of engaging American support for the Allies in the war. During his posting he spent a great deal of his own time on cultural matters, promoting, especially through art and film, an image of Australia that he believed would appeal to the American public and to decision makers. In spite of Casey, a significant figure in the development of Australian diplomacy, being a strong proponent of cultural diplomacy, it has not ranked high on our national policy agenda since then.