In this episode we remember Gough Whitlam’s visits to China – the People’s Republic of China - in 1971 and 1973. The 1971 visit, when Whitlam was Opposition Leader, paved the way for the diplomatic recognition of China and sowed the seeds for a thriving cultural and economic relationship. In 1973 Whitlam became the first Australian Prime Minister to travel to China.

Visit the Whitlam Institute website – where much of the material for this episode was sourced: http://www.whitlam.org/

Also check out the It’s Time TV commercial from the 1972 election campaign. Whitlam shakes hands with Premier Zhou at around the 1 minute 15 second mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqMCZBjvmD4

Music courtesy of Dan-O at: http://www.danosongs.com/

Thanks to Ken Dampier for post-production.