Nine today announces The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age will reopen its bureau in Beijing after six years following long-running discussions with the Chinese Government and the embassy in Canberra.

Executive Editor Luke McIlveen said the presence of the Herald and The Age in China was essential to giving readers the full picture of the global superpower on our doorstep.

“China is obviously the biggest player in our region and a true global superpower – economically, militarily and technologically.

“The bureau will report without fear or favour what makes China such an extraordinary country. Our return to Beijing only strengthens our commitment to having the best foreign correspondents in key global cities.”

Lisa Visentin, currently based in Singapore, will take up her Beijing posting in February 2026, filing stories for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WAtoday.

“Having spent the past two years reporting on China from the region, Lisa already has a deep understanding of its growing influence in the Asia Pacific, its complexities and what it means for the strategic balance of power, in particular for Australia. Being on the ground in Beijing will only deepen that insight for our readers,” said McIlveen. 

The Herald and The Age have a long tradition covering China. Margaret Jones was the first Herald and Age journalist based in China since World War Two, establishing a bureau in Beijing in 1973. Gough Whitlam once said that Jones “pioneered the Fairfax office in Beijing. Readers fully understood Australian foreign policy”.

Jones was succeeded by Yvonne Preston in 1975 (who returned for a second posting in the early 1990s). Other correspondents have included such respected bylines as Philip Wen, John Garnaut, Peter Ellingsen, Mark Baker, Hamish McDonald and Stephen Hutcheon.

Kirsty Needham was the last Herald/Age journalist based full-time in China, from 2017 to January 2020. Since then, Eryk Bagshaw and Lisa Visentin have covered North Asia from bases in Singapore and elsewhere, taking as many trips into China as possible.

For further information, please contact:
Adrian Motte
Senior Communications Manager – Trade & Publishing
amotte@nine.com.au

Wednesday 10 December, 2025