Despite rising global tensions this book focuses on both the fundamental differences and the shared challenges in public administration between Greater China and Australia. Co-edited by Academy Fellows Andrew Podger and John Wanna along with Hon S. Chan and Tsai-tsu Su, it draws on more than a decade of workshops organised by the Greater China Australia Dialogue on Public Administration, involving scholars and practitioners from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia. Although these workshops recognised the major differences in the institutional frameworks of these jurisdictions, until recently they focused largely on the shared challenges and the diffusion of ideas and approaches.
As rising international tensions inevitably draw attention to areas where interests and philosophies diverge, it is the differences that must now be highlighted. Yet, despite the tensions, this book reveals that these jurisdictions continue to address shared challenges in public administration.
The book’s contributors focus in detail on four areas:
- intergovernmental relations, including the shifting balance between centralisation and decentralisation
- budgeting and financial management, including during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
- the civil service, its capability, and its relationship with government and the public
- service delivery, particularly in health and aged care.
Aiming for a wide readership, not only those within the jurisdictions it explores, this book emphasises the importance of continued engagement in understanding different approaches to public administration. It confirms fundamental philosophical differences where necessary but also looking for common ground and opportunities for shared learning.
