AUSTRALIA SETS UP $36M CENTRE TO SUPPORT BUSINESS IN THE ASIAN CENTURY

Australia’s unique position as a platform to access the dynamic high-growth Asian region has been strengthened with the establishment of a new $36 million centre to support business in the Asian Century. The establishment of the National Centre for Asia Capability in Melbourne and Sydney is to be delivered through theUniversityofMelbourne’s Asialink and was announced jointly by Trade Minister Richard Marles and Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr. The centre ‘will tap into the expertise of business and community organisations, peak bodies, training providers and business councils to help business leaders develop a deeper knowledge and expertise of Asian countries and cultures,’ Mr Marles said. ‘The centre will also forge new partnerships to help businesses develop the Asia-relevant capabilities they need to better access growing markets in our region,’ he said in a statement. More than a third of the country’s foreign-born population is fromAsiaand more than 2.1 million Australians, or nearly 10 per cent of the population, speak an Asian language at home.