Walking the walk on the Asian Century

JULIA Gillard will embark on the next stage of her Asia policy today, naming top industry executives to a new strategy group.

JULIA Gillard will embark on the next stage of her Asia policy today, naming top industry executives to a new strategy group and outlining actions to be taken this year to implement the plans.

The Prime Minister will use a major speech in Sydney to step up the Asian Century agenda ready for her visit to China this weekend as part of the government's most senior delegation to the nation's biggest trading partner.

Details of the Asia plan being released today include more than a dozen initiatives to be developed over the coming year, including regional trade deals and more help for Australian students who study in Asia.

Universities will be told to increase the Asian content of their courses while the school curriculum will have Asian studies at its heart, according to the implementation plan for the Asian Century white paper. Trade Minister Craig Emerson, who oversees the Asian Century plan and will join the delegation to China, will release the implementation plan today as well as naming new advisers to the program.

Leighton chief executive Hamish Tyrwhitt will chair a strategic advisory board to help implement the plan, alongside Kraft Foods regional chief Rebecca Dee-Bradbury and RMIT vice-chancellor Margaret Gardner.

The advisers who oversaw the Asian Century report last year - former Treasury secretary Ken Henry, Telstra chair Catherine Livingstone, Australian National University emeritus professor of economics Peter Drysdale, and Corrs Chambers Westgarth chief executive John Denton - will also join the strategy group.

Ms Gillard has sought to make integration with Asia a key part of her economic message and will use today's speech to continue that theme, while defending the government's economic record during a global downturn in growth.

The Prime Minister will be joined in China by Foreign Minister Bob Carr as well as Dr Emerson, while Financial Services Minister Bill Shorten heads to a financial forum in China at the same time.

The Asian Century implementation plan, obtained by The Australian, lists more than a dozen initiatives already under way, including work to put Chinese language skills on the curriculum for Year 10 students.

Another initiative in the plan is continued work on a trade deal with 16 nations, known as the regional comprehensive economic partnership. Other programs include a "significant investor visa" to attract migrants who commit to invest at least $5 million in Australia. Universities will also be put on notice to step up their Asian programs.

"Universities will also need to increase the Asia-relevant content of many courses - including in humanities, social sciences, the arts, science and technology," the implementation plan says.

Dr Emerson said last night the appointments to the strategic advisory group would help keep the community focused on the Asian agenda.

"Leighton is an Australian flagship company in Asia, and having Hamish's experience of living and working in Asia will be a tremendous asset," he said.

"Margaret and Rebecca work in two areas with enormous potential for our Asian engagement strategy: education and food manufacturing.

"The implementation plan charts a course for the further release of practical policies in the coming months, giving effect to the white paper's aspirations."

Dr Emerson said the government wanted to release the implementation plan ahead of the delegation to China.

The government is promising to embark on a series of "next steps" in the Asian Century plan, including wider consultation with business and the community on the "country strategies" to be defined for the five nations identified as the main priority partnerships - Japan, China, Indonesia, India and South Korea.

Another plan under way is a series of "stakeholder forums" to be held this year to identify regional opportunities.

Mr Tyrwhitt and the strategic advisory board are expected to hold some of the forums and then report back to the government on any "policy gaps" in the plans.

The public service will also be drafted to the cause under a "capability strategy" to be prepared by the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Ian Watt, and the head of the Australian Public Service Commission.

While the implementation plan makes no recommendation on wider migration policy, it notes the benefits to the economy from continued flow of migrants.

"Permanent migration from Asia to Australia has grown four-fold in the last 15 years," it states.

"Australians of Asian heritage can offer valuable perspectives to Australia and encourage an informed and up-to-date view of Asia in Australia and of Australia in Asia. Temporary visa holders, including workers, students, working holiday makers, visitors and tourists, can form relationships that complement Australia's formal government-to-government relationships."

A governance plan for the Asian Century policy includes groups set up at different levels of the government to put the plans into practice, leading with a committee within cabinet. The Australia in the Asian Century committee of cabinet includes Ms Gillard, Wayne Swan, Dr Emerson, Senator Carr, Finance Minister Penny Wong, Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Industry Minister Greg Combet.