While the Australia Day holiday this weekend is traditionally a time for cricket, beer and barbecues, the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Beijing is hosting a decidedly more sophisticated celebration for expatriates in the Chinese capital.

Austcham is holding the "Gold and Glamorous Ball" tomorrow, a charity event coinciding with Australia's national holiday on January 26.

Australia's expat population in the Middle Kingdom is estimated to number between 12,000 to 15,000, and Austcham has branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. The Shanghai and Yangtze River Delta region are home to the largest concentration of Aussies, an estimated 5,500, with the Beijing area not far behind.

Australia is an island continent of sparkling coastlines and an arid center, covering a land area of 2.9 million sq m and hosting a multicultural society of 20.4 million people. The country's capital city is Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory, while Sydney is the largest city, with a population of 4.2 million. Located in the state of New South Wales, Sydney is Australia's most cosmopolitan city and home to World Heritage sites including the famous Sydney Opera House. It also hosted the Olympic Games in 2000.

Chinese immigration to Australia has a long history, and the relationship between the two countries is regarded as one of the most important by the Australian government, according to the website of the Australian Embassy in China.

Diplomatic relations between the two nations stretch back more than 30 years, with two-way trade growing at an average of around 20 percent over the past five years. Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Australia in 2003 and 2007, and Premier Wen Jiabao visited Australia in 2003.

In November 2007, the Labor Party's Putonghua-speaking Kevin Rudd won the office of Australian Prime Minister, defeating John Howard who served a record four terms. Rudd campaigned on a platform for change, and promised to focus on the environment, education and healthcare.

Australia's first inhabitants were the Aborigines, who migrated 40,000 years ago from Southeast Asia. Today, about 350,000 Aborigines live in Australia.

The Commonwealth of Australia was created in 1901 when the former British colonies became a federation of six states. Government is based on a popularly elected Parliament with two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Although Australia is an independent nation, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain is also formally Queen of Australia. The Queen is represented by a governor-general, who is appointed on the advice of the Australian government.

Nearly 6 million people are expected to flock to official events around the country to mark Australia Day this weekend, while many more will enjoy the public holiday with friends and family.

"For some the commemorative day also sparks mixed emotions. Many Aboriginal Australians, conscious of their loss of country and culture, celebrate their survival in the face of continuing challenges," says Warren Pearson, National Director of the National Australia Day Council.

 (China Daily by Viva Goldner January 25, 2008)