Nine to reopen Beijing bureau as Herald and Age return to China in 2026

Nine has confirmed The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age will reopen a bureau in Beijing in February 2026, ending a six-year absence following prolonged discussions with the Chinese Government and the Chinese embassy in Canberra.

The move will see senior reporter Lisa Visentin relocate from Singapore to Beijing, where she will file for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times and WAtoday.

Nine executive editor Luke McIlveen said a permanent presence in China was essential to providing readers with a clear understanding of Australia’s most significant regional relationship.

“China is the biggest player in our region and a true global superpower - economically, militarily and technologically,” McIlveen said. “The bureau will report without fear or favour what makes China such an extraordinary country. Our return to Beijing strengthens our commitment to having the best foreign correspondents in key global cities.”

McIlveen said Visentin’s reporting from Singapore over the past two years had already delivered deep insights into China’s growing influence across the Asia Pacific and its implications for Australia.

“Being on the ground in Beijing will only deepen that insight for our readers,” he said.

The Herald and The Age have a long history of reporting from China. Margaret Jones became the first journalist from either masthead to be based in the country after World War II, establishing a Beijing bureau in 1973. Former prime minister Gough Whitlam later said Jones “pioneered the Fairfax office in Beijing”, helping readers understand Australian foreign policy.

Jones was followed by correspondents including Yvonne Preston, Philip Wen, John Garnaut, Peter Ellingsen, Mark Baker, Hamish McDonald and Stephen Hutcheon. Kirsty Needham was the last Herald and Age journalist based full-time in China, from 2017 until January 2020.

Since then, North Asia coverage has been led from Singapore by reporters including Eryk Bagshaw and Visentin, with travel into China when possible. The bureau’s reopening marks a significant step in restoring on-the-ground Australian media coverage of China at a time of shifting diplomatic and economic relations.