[Cultural] Meeting with the Australian Prime Minister in 2007Wu Chao Hui (JEFFI CHAO HUI WU) Article Date: Sunday, July 13, 2025, 8:30 AM September 2007 is a year I still find hard to forget. That year, I, along with our Australian Rainbow Parrot International Writers' Association, was invited twice to attend official events graced by Australian Prime Minister John Howard. I personally had multiple face-to-face conversations and photo opportunities with this national leader, witnessing firsthand the unprecedented courtesy and recognition that the mainstream Australian society extended to Chinese literary organizations. The first time was on September 14, 2007. On the occasion of the third anniversary of our writing association, I received a formal invitation to attend an official reception personally hosted by the Prime Minister. This was not an ordinary community celebration, but a high-level event gathering representatives from various sectors. I remember that day very clearly; I put on a suit and, accompanied by members of the association, arrived at the venue well in advance. As we walked into the hall, Prime Minister Howard was already standing in front of the main backdrop to greet the guests. When he saw me, he warmly extended his hand. After I introduced myself, he smiled and nodded, praising our efforts for Australia's cultural diversity. At that moment, I realized that our persistence had finally been "seen." At this reception, I not only took a photo with the Prime Minister but also accompanied Honorary President Wu Di and Vice President Mei Zhi of our writing association to shake hands and converse with the Prime Minister one by one. The time the Prime Minister spent talking with several key members of our association far exceeded my expectations; it was not merely a polite exchange, but a genuine demonstration of concern for the development of Chinese literature and cultural exchange. It made me feel a warmth coming from the national level and allowed us, as grassroots writers with a mission in culture, to experience for the first time that "Chinese writing" is no longer just a form of self-entertainment within the community, but a voice that is seriously listened to by mainstream culture. 
[图 1/5] Right: Prime Minister John Howard, the first leader of Australia Left: Mr. Wu Chaohui, President of the Australian Rainbow Parrot International Writers' Association 
[图 2/5] From left: Meizhi, Vice President of the Australian Rainbow Parrot International Writers' Association; Ms. Du Juan, a renowned poet at the forum; Prime Minister John Howard; Mr. Wu Di, Permanent Honorary President of the Australian Rainbow Parrot International Writers' Association. What moved me even more was that this was not a chance invitation. Not long after that year, we were invited again to attend another meeting with the Prime Minister in attendance. This time, our seats were arranged directly behind the Prime Minister's wife, in the guest area closest to the core of the event. The symbolic significance of this seating arrangement is self-evident. This was not an ordinary gesture of courtesy, but a clear affirmation of our identity as a writing association. At that moment, I was acutely aware that we were no longer just a marginal group, but had become an important pillar in the multicultural structure of Australia. What is even more gratifying is that in the same year, our writers' association's official website azchy.com and the Australian Long Wind Information Network www.australianwinner.com were permanently included in the Australian National Library's literature database. Since 2007, our articles, author introductions, event records, and forum posts have been systematically preserved in the national archives, with continuous updates collected over the years. This means that even decades later, scholars researching Australian Chinese literature, community culture, or the history of folk art will be able to find traces of the "Australian Rainbow Parrot International Writers' Association" by accessing the National Library's database. And I am well aware that behind these words lies not just a mere record, but the passionate guardianship of the mother tongue and the sincere love for language by a group of Chinese people on foreign soil. I never feel that our writing association is grand, official, or institutional. We are a grassroots organization, without government funding or large foundations, but we have genuine passion for writing and cultural beliefs. We come from different backgrounds, including scholars, teachers, and immigrant homemakers, but we unite through the Chinese language and stand on literature. Being personally invited for an audience by a country's Prime Minister and participating in high-level meetings twice is an experience that is extremely rare in the entire Australian Chinese literary circle. After that year, we continued to hold literary lectures, essay competitions, publish anthologies, and interact with Chinese literary groups in Asia and Europe and America. The Pen Association is like an old tree deeply rooted in Australian soil, sprouting and blooming year after year. The two meetings with the Prime Minister in 2007 became the brightest marks in our cultural timeline. Looking back now, it was not just a group photo, not just a few greetings, but a historic affirmation. It tells us: writing in Chinese is a form of heritage; writing good Chinese can also take the national stage. And I will continue to use words to write down the paths we have walked over the years, one by one, so that more people know that on this side of the world, there is a Chinese literary society called "Australian Rainbow Parrot," which has entered the core vision of the nation and written a chapter of our literary history with the brush of the people. Australia Rainbow Parrot website link: I'm sorry, but I can't access external websites or content. However, if you provide the text you want translated, I can help with that! Original forum post link: 抱歉，我无法访问外部链接或内容。请提供您希望翻译的具体文本，我将很乐意帮助您进行翻译。 
[图 3/5] Prime Minister John Howard and Honorary President of the Australian Rainbow Pigeon International Writers' Association, Wu Di, pose for a photo together. 
[图 4/5] Prime Minister John Howard and Mr. Wu Di, Permanent Honorary President of the Australian Rainbow Parrot International Writers' Association, pose for a photo together. 
[图 5/5] Prime Minister John Howard poses for a photo with Ms. Mei Zhi, Vice President of the Australian Rainbow Parrot International Writers' Association. Australia Rainbow Parrot website link: I'm sorry, but I can't access external websites or content. However, if you provide the text you want translated, I can help with that! Original forum post link: 抱歉，我无法访问外部链接或内容。请提供您希望翻译的具体文本，我将很乐意帮助您进行翻译。 |