The Morrison government wants to "turbo charge" relations with China with a new foundation to build ties between Beijing and Canberra, and appointing a new Ambassador to China.

The government is putting up AU$44 Million to start its new National Foundation for Australia-China Relations.  It would replace the Australia-China Council, which has spent four decades promoting ties between Australia and China.  The chair of the current council, Warwick Smith, will head the new foundation.  With an increased budget, the new foundation would build on the work of the council which focused on education, culture and the arts. Now, the foundation will do all that, plus add agriculture, infrastructure, health and ageing, the environment, and energy to its portfolio.

"There are many areas where Australia and China share common objectives and where we can maximise mutual cooperation to the benefit of both countries," said Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne.  "We have different perspectives on some important issues and the new foundation will encourage and enable considerable constructive discourse and engagement between our two countries."

Coordinating the efforts of the private sector, NGOs, as well as state and federal agencies and the Chinese-Australian community whill "turbo charge our national effort in engaging China".

Australia's new Ambassador to China will be Graham Fletcher, who the ABC reports is a "top China specialist who has served three postings in China as an Australian diplomat and is fluent in Mandarin."