Envisaged as a cultural exchange between Australia and Serbia, this recital put Ensemble Liaison's Australian-born members, clarinettist David Griffiths and pianist Timothy Young, on stage with two Serbian-born artists: the group's resident cellist, Svetlana Bogosavljevic and guest violinist, Nemanja Radulovic.

The initiative is supported by UQ, the UQ Confucius Institute and the Australia Chinese General Chamber of Business – headed by Mr Chiu-Hing Chan, who was a Young Queenslander of the Year in 2009 for his contribution to the ethnic Chinese community.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr today announced the Government had entered into a funding agreement with the Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC) for the on-going delivery of a new-look Australia Network Service, combining television, radio and digital media.

Australia's Foreign Minister Bob Carr has confirmed an agreement has been reached for the ongoing funding of a new-look Australia Network Service, combining television, radio and digital media.

Telling them Australia is jolly friendly to Asia, close to it, wants to be a part of it, has a nice safe lifestyle -- that's not enough. We should be hard-nosed about the career advantages to be gained from our courses: they all get that. But as for the soft power stuff, we should try harder to stay with the big players in that league.

Australia and the US have previously expressed concern at China resorting to chequebook diplomacy but Carr appeared to soften Canberra's stance in an interview with the Australian Financial Review. He urged the region to learn to live with Beijing "developing all the accoutrements of a major power".

A parliamentary inquiry has criticised the waste of more than $1 million in taxpayers' money by the Gillard government in its botched tender for Australia's television service into Asia. The Australia Network saga last year saw public broadcaster the ABC pitted against rival station Sky News, part-owned by News Corporation chief Rupert Murdoch, in a contest over a $223 million contract to run the service.

Call it soft power. With Chinese state-owned companies such as China Southern, it is impossible to know where company strategy ends and government policy begins. China Southern may be obscure in Australia now but it is the fourth-largest airline in the world in passengers carried.