Australia and Xi Jinping’s China

Her Excellency Frances Adamson who was born in Adelaide, is the Australian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China.

Ms Adamson arrived in Beijing on 8th August, 2011,and presented her credentials to the President of the People’s Republic of china, HE Hu Jintao, on 16th August,2011. Ms Adamson served in the Australian Consulate-General in Hong Kong in the late 1980’s during the early years of China’s reform and opening, and first visited mainland China in 1987. She was seconded as representative to the Australian Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei from 2001 to 2005. She has twice served in the Australian High Commission in London, as Deputy High Commissioner from 2005-2008 and Political Counsellor from 1993 to 1997. She was Chief of Staff to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and then the Minister for Defence from 2009 to 2010.

Ms Adamson is an honorary patron of the China-Australia Chamber of Commerce in Beijing, patron of the Australia-China Alumni Association, a member of the Advisory Board of the Australian National University’s Australian Centre on China in the world and an ex-officio member of the Leadership Council of the Australia-China Youth Dialogue.

She is married with four children and speaks Mandarin.