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'If you make China the enemy, China will be the enemy': Beijing's fresh threat to Australia
By Jonathan Kearsley, Eryk Bagshaw and Anthony Galloway
November 18, 2020 — 6.10pm
Beijing has issued an extraordinary attack on the Australian government, accusing it of "poisoning bilateral relations" in a deliberately leaked document that threatens to escalate tensions between the two countries.
The government document goes further than any public statements made by the Chinese Communist Party, accusing the Morrison government of attempting "to torpedo" Victoria's Belt and Road deal, and blaming Canberra for "unfriendly or antagonistic" reports on China by independent Australian media.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers an address to the opening ceremony of the China International Import Expo in November.CREDIT:AP
"China is angry. If you make China the enemy, China will be the enemy," a Chinese government official said in a briefing with a reporter in Canberra on Tuesday.
The dossier of 14 disputes was handed over by the Chinese embassy in Canberra to Nine News, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in a diplomatic play that appears aimed at pressuring the Morrison government to reverse Australia's position on key policies.
The list of grievances also includes: government funding for "anti-China" research at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, raids on Chinese journalists and academic visa cancellations, "spearheading a crusade" in multilateral forums on China's affairs in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, calling for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19, banning Huawei from the 5G network in 2018 and blocking 10 Chinese foreign investment deals across infrastructure, agriculture and animal husbandry sectors.
In a targeted threat to Australia's foreign policy position, the Chinese official said if Australia backed away from policies on the list, it "would be conducive to a better atmosphere".
https://defence.pk/pdf/javascript:void(0);
The dossier was delivered shortly before China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian laid the blame on Australia for the state of the relationship at a press conference in Beijing.
"The Australian side should reflect on this seriously, rather than shirking the blame and deflecting responsibility," he said.
The Morrison government has rejected Beijing's characterisation and called for the Chinese government to answer its phone calls.
Loading
"The ball is very much in China's court to be willing to sit down and have that proper dialogue," Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said on Wednesday.
But the Chinese government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak publicly, said "why should China care about Australia?" and that phone calls would be "meaningless" while the "atmosphere is bad".
The document also takes aim at "thinly veiled allegations against China on cyber attacks without any evidence" and claims Australia was the first country without a maritime presence in the South China Sea to condemn China's actions at the United Nations. Australia followed the United States in July in branding China's claims to the disputed area "unlawful".
It also accuses MPs of "outrageous condemnations of the governing party of China and racist attacks against Chinese or Asian people" after Liberal Senator Eric Abetz demanded Chinese-Australian witnesses at a parliamentary inquiry condemn the Chinese Communist Party.
Loading
The leaked list and comments by Mr Zhao signal a significant tactical shift from Beijing. Australia has not backed away from its criticism, despite months of escalating Chinese rhetoric and verbal instructions to state-linked traders to stop importing Australian products.
The trade strikes on up to a dozen products including wine, beef, barley, timber, lobster and coal now threaten $20 billion worth of Australian exports.
China accounts for up to 40 per cent of Australia's exports and one in 13 Australian jobs, leading to rising anxiety among business figures and diplomats grappling with competing objectives: balancing Australia's national security, maintaining a military deterrent to China's regional aggression through a new defence agreement with Japan, and keeping economic lines with China open.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday said China should not be threatened by the signing of a landmark defence treaty between Australia and Japan, which paves the way for the two nations to conduct more joint military exercises throughout the Indo-Pacific.
The list of grievances from the Chinese embassy.
"This is a significant evolution of this relationship, but there is no reason for that to cause any concern elsewhere in the region," Mr Morrison said. "I think it adds to the stability of the region, which is a good thing."
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe on Wednesday urged Australia to maintain a strong relationship with China.
In his most direct comments on the multibillion-dollar diplomatic dispute to date, Dr Lowe said it was in the economy's interest for the relationship between Australia and its largest trading partner to get back on track.
"China has benefited from our natural resources exports and we have benefited from its manufacturing imports," he said.
"We need to keep that strong relationship with China going. It is mutually advantageous for both of us."
BHP chief executive Mike Henry told The Australian's Strategic Forum on Wednesday that Australia was an export dependent economy.
"Other nations may aspire to succeed in self-sufficiency and autonomy. Australia simply isn't built to succeed under this model," he said.
"While we are ultimately reliant on countries acting in good faith, we have to ensure we are doing absolutely everything in our power to secure Australia's continued prosperity through mutually beneficial trade and co-operation."
In a sign the government is attempting to separate economic outcomes from security and military ones, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Wednesday Australia stood ready to engage in "respectful and beneficial" dialogue with the Chinese Communist Party.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.CREDIT:ALEX ELLINGHAUSEN
But added that, as part of any dialogue, Australia's national interest would be "non-negotiable".
The 14 items identified by the Chinese embassy document are seen by the Department of Foreign Affairs as key to Australia's national interest and non-negotiable, leaving the two countries facing the prospect of an extended diplomatic and economic dispute.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the Australian government makes "sound decisions in our national interest and in accordance with our values and open democratic processes."
"We are a liberal democratic society with a free media and a parliamentary democracy, where elected members and media are entitled to freely express their views," the department said in a statement.
"The Australian government is always ready to talk directly in a constructive fashion about Australia's relationship with China, including about our differences, and to do so directly between our political leaders.
"Such direct dialogue enables misrepresentation of Australia's positions to be addressed in a constructive manner that enables our mutually beneficial relationship."
Start your day informed
Our Morning Edition newsletter is a curated guide to the most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up to The Sydney Morning Herald’s newsletter here, The Age’s here, Brisbane Times’ here, and WAtoday’s here.
www.smh.com.au
Eryk Bagshaw
Eryk Bagshaw is the China correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Due to travel restrictions, he is currently based in Canberra.
Anthony Galloway
Anthony is foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
China shows official list of reasons for anger with Australia
By Jonathan Kearsley • Political Reporter
7:25pm Nov 18, 2020
The toxic state of the relationship between Canberra and Beijing has been laid bare in a list of 14 grievances Chinese officials have handed 9News.
At the top of the list are decisions to ban Huawei from the rollout of the 5G network, foreign interference laws, and calling for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19.
One official said to 9News "why should China care about Australia?"
The Chinese government has issued a list of its grievances with Australia. (AP)
READ MORE: Australia to bolster defence ties with Japan amid China's rise
"China is angry," the official said.
"If you make China the enemy, China will be the enemy."
It is the bluntest assessment of the relationship ever delivered by a Chinese government official and the list is a clearest indication of how deep the fracture in the relationship runs.
Related
"For years China has applied a strategy to Australia: shut up and take the money," Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Peter Jennings told 9News.
"They don't want Australia to be expressing views about what we think is important in regional security.
The navies of India, the United States, Australia and Japan held exercises in the Northern Arabian Sea in the second phase of a naval drill seen as part of a regional initiative to counter China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. (Indian Navy via AP)
READ MORE: How China and Russia might view the end of the Trump Presidency
"No Australian can live with that, no democracy can live with that.
"Increasingly we are going to be at loggerheads. I'm afraid Australians need to get used to this being the reality of how our relations with China will work probably for years to come."
Last night, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian rattled off a similar but shorter list of accusations levelled against Australia, accusing the Morrison government of a "blatant violation ... of international relations", by speaking out over what it viewed as risks to "democratic processes" in Hong Kong and human rights abuse allegations in Xinjiang.
Mr Zhao said Australia had "slandered and accused China of engaging in intervention and infiltration activities in Australia", and engaged in "political manipulation" over the independent inquiry into coronavirus.
READ MORE: Australia mocked by China over 'Asian NATO'
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also accused the Australian government of being to blame for the state of the relationship, saying responsibility for the deep troubles, "doesn't lie with China at all" and urged Australia "do more things conducive to enhancing mutual trust".
Multiple Australian exports have been hit by Chinese exclusions. (9News)
Mr Zhao "hopes the Australian side will own up to the real reason for the setback in bilateral relations".
9News has been told the relationship is being dealt with at a "very low level" from Beijing, because of a "bad atmosphere", and that China will not take calls at a ministerial level, because it would be "meaningless ... the atmosphere is bad", suggesting talks at that level would only resume if Australia backed away from policies on the list, as it "would be conducive to a better atmosphere".
There are also veiled warnings of the future of the Confucius Institutes at universities if the government's proposed foreign relations legislation is to pass the parliament.
The view in Beijing is Australia does not think independently, and is following the lead of the US, that allegations of cyber attacks and foreign interference are "baseless" and have repeatedly called for evidence to be put on show.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has ushered in an era of aggressive diplomacy. (AP)
China has already imposed trade barriers on beef, wine, barley, lobster and timber.
After Australia spoke out about the disqualification of opposition lawmakers in Hong Kong, warning it "seriously undermines Hong Kong's democratic processes", the Chinese Foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wengbin warned, "should they insist on going down the wrong path China will make firm, legitimate and necessary reactions."
The Australian government has been left in no doubt how the Chinese government feels.
"The Australian Government makes sound decisions in our national interest and in accordance with our values and open democratic processes," a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.
"We are a liberal democratic society with a free media and a parliamentary democracy, where elected members and media are entitled to freely express their views."
www.9news.com.au
China leaks dossier of 14 disputes with Australia as tensions increase
A bombshell dossier containing a long list of reasons China is “angry” at Australia has been deliberately leaked in a move that will alarm Scott Morrison.
Rohan Smithro_smith
NOVEMBER 19, 20209:43AM
ASIO warns countries like China are grooming Aussies for spy operations
Remember back in August when China’s Deputy Head of Mission Wang Xining made that extraordinary speech at Canberra’s National Press Club outlining how Australia had wronged the Communist state?
It was a pointed attack at Australia over its decision to back an independent inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic – a decision the diplomat compared with the stabbing of Roman emperor Julius Caesar.
The rift over where coronavirus originated has dominated the relationship between the two previously strong allies. But it is far from the only reason China is “angry” at Australia.
A deliberately leaked document delivered by the Chinese embassy in Canberra to The Age newspaper reveals 14 disputes that are “poisoning bilateral relations”.
“China is angry,” an official said after the leak on Tuesday. “If you make China the enemy, China will be the enemy.”
RELATED: ‘Dangerous’: China erupts at Australia
Chinese President Xi Jinping. Picture: Kevin Frayer/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images
RELATED: America’s brazen move to offend China
The list of grievances cited by Chinese officials reportedly includes calls for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, taking sides over the South China Sea territorial dispute, “thinly veiled” accusations that China is behind cyber attacks and banning Huawei from the rollout of 5G because of security concerns.
A new military pact between Australia and Japan has also ruffled feathers in Beijing where Chinese state media described it as “dangerous”.
“We suggest Japan and Australia exercise restraint on the way to form a quasi military alliance against China,” a Global Times editorial read on Tuesday night.
“They will surely pay a corresponding price if China’s national interests are infringed upon and its security is threatened.”
The Global Times condemned both nations for “recklessly” taking the first step to conduct deep defence co-operation that targets a third party, and accused them of shifting the responsibilities of safeguarding regional unity to China.
RELATED: Australia’s new landmark defence pact
Chinese soldiers applauding during a military parade in May. Picture: AFPSource:AFP
RELATED: ‘Offended’ China’s plan to punish Australia
“This is not only unfair, but also very dangerous,” it wrote.
In August, the Chinese diplomat who fronted the Press Club in a rare display of outward aggression said Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s decision to back the inquiry into the origins of the virus had “hurt the feelings” of Chinese people.
“All of a sudden, they heard there was this shocking proposal coming from Australia, which is supposed to be a good friend of China,’’ Wang said.
“If you are able read Chinese blogs, websites and even the comments of the blog of your Embassy in Beijing, you will be able to note the intensity of emotion of our people, how much indignation, anger and frustration they expressed, they used a lot of Chinese idioms and sayings to describe the emotion, but it is difficult to translate.
“I think it is approximately identical to Julius Caesar, in his final day when he saw Brutus approaching him: Et Tu Brute.”
The quote appears in William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, as the last words of Roman dictator Julius Caesar, at the moment of his assassination, to his friend Marcus Brutus, upon recognising him as one of the assassins.
Earlier in the address he had insisted COVID-19 could have originated in “two or three other places”.
RELATED: Aussie stimulus going straight to China
Chinese President Xi Jinping waves from a vehicle as he reviews troops at a military parade marking the 70th founding anniversary of People’s Republic of China. Picture: Thomas Peter/ ReutersSource:Supplied
RELATED: ‘Ready to fight’: China tensions rise
“Yes, I think it is up to the scientists to find out the origin, and also how it has been dealt with by different governments,’’ he said.
“I would like to call your attention to what has been said by Dr Michael Ryan. He is the executive director of WHO health emergency program, he said recently that patients zero is not necessarily found among the first cluster of coronavirus cases.”
The fallout has been felt at more than a diplomatic level. As we wrote a week ago, China is still “offended” by Australia’s comments and is taking steps to make those feelings clear.
The Victorian timber industry felt the full force of China’s will when out of the blue it blocked exports last week.
The official reason relayed to the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment was that several recent shipments contained bark beetles – a pest that feeds on the inner layers of trees.
The timber industry joins wine, coal, barley, copper ore, sugar and seafood industries on the banned list by China Customs.
But the story being told in China’s state media has holes in it, according to Dr Pradeep Taneja, who lectures at the University of Melbourne on Chinese politics and international relations.
“It’s hard to believe that suddenly over the last six months or so that there are so many problems with Australian exports to China,” Dr Pradeep told the ABC.
“It’s hard to believe. There may be, I’m not denying there could be problems. But those problems could be resolved fairly easily if the two countries were talking to each other.”
– with Samantha Maiden
www.news.com.au
By Jonathan Kearsley, Eryk Bagshaw and Anthony Galloway
November 18, 2020 — 6.10pm
Beijing has issued an extraordinary attack on the Australian government, accusing it of "poisoning bilateral relations" in a deliberately leaked document that threatens to escalate tensions between the two countries.
The government document goes further than any public statements made by the Chinese Communist Party, accusing the Morrison government of attempting "to torpedo" Victoria's Belt and Road deal, and blaming Canberra for "unfriendly or antagonistic" reports on China by independent Australian media.
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers an address to the opening ceremony of the China International Import Expo in November.CREDIT:AP
"China is angry. If you make China the enemy, China will be the enemy," a Chinese government official said in a briefing with a reporter in Canberra on Tuesday.
The dossier of 14 disputes was handed over by the Chinese embassy in Canberra to Nine News, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in a diplomatic play that appears aimed at pressuring the Morrison government to reverse Australia's position on key policies.
The list of grievances also includes: government funding for "anti-China" research at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, raids on Chinese journalists and academic visa cancellations, "spearheading a crusade" in multilateral forums on China's affairs in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, calling for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19, banning Huawei from the 5G network in 2018 and blocking 10 Chinese foreign investment deals across infrastructure, agriculture and animal husbandry sectors.
In a targeted threat to Australia's foreign policy position, the Chinese official said if Australia backed away from policies on the list, it "would be conducive to a better atmosphere".
https://defence.pk/pdf/javascript:void(0);
The dossier was delivered shortly before China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian laid the blame on Australia for the state of the relationship at a press conference in Beijing.
"The Australian side should reflect on this seriously, rather than shirking the blame and deflecting responsibility," he said.
The Morrison government has rejected Beijing's characterisation and called for the Chinese government to answer its phone calls.
Loading
"The ball is very much in China's court to be willing to sit down and have that proper dialogue," Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said on Wednesday.
But the Chinese government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak publicly, said "why should China care about Australia?" and that phone calls would be "meaningless" while the "atmosphere is bad".
The document also takes aim at "thinly veiled allegations against China on cyber attacks without any evidence" and claims Australia was the first country without a maritime presence in the South China Sea to condemn China's actions at the United Nations. Australia followed the United States in July in branding China's claims to the disputed area "unlawful".
It also accuses MPs of "outrageous condemnations of the governing party of China and racist attacks against Chinese or Asian people" after Liberal Senator Eric Abetz demanded Chinese-Australian witnesses at a parliamentary inquiry condemn the Chinese Communist Party.
Loading
The leaked list and comments by Mr Zhao signal a significant tactical shift from Beijing. Australia has not backed away from its criticism, despite months of escalating Chinese rhetoric and verbal instructions to state-linked traders to stop importing Australian products.
The trade strikes on up to a dozen products including wine, beef, barley, timber, lobster and coal now threaten $20 billion worth of Australian exports.
China accounts for up to 40 per cent of Australia's exports and one in 13 Australian jobs, leading to rising anxiety among business figures and diplomats grappling with competing objectives: balancing Australia's national security, maintaining a military deterrent to China's regional aggression through a new defence agreement with Japan, and keeping economic lines with China open.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday said China should not be threatened by the signing of a landmark defence treaty between Australia and Japan, which paves the way for the two nations to conduct more joint military exercises throughout the Indo-Pacific.
The list of grievances from the Chinese embassy.
"This is a significant evolution of this relationship, but there is no reason for that to cause any concern elsewhere in the region," Mr Morrison said. "I think it adds to the stability of the region, which is a good thing."
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe on Wednesday urged Australia to maintain a strong relationship with China.
In his most direct comments on the multibillion-dollar diplomatic dispute to date, Dr Lowe said it was in the economy's interest for the relationship between Australia and its largest trading partner to get back on track.
"China has benefited from our natural resources exports and we have benefited from its manufacturing imports," he said.
"We need to keep that strong relationship with China going. It is mutually advantageous for both of us."
BHP chief executive Mike Henry told The Australian's Strategic Forum on Wednesday that Australia was an export dependent economy.
"Other nations may aspire to succeed in self-sufficiency and autonomy. Australia simply isn't built to succeed under this model," he said.
"While we are ultimately reliant on countries acting in good faith, we have to ensure we are doing absolutely everything in our power to secure Australia's continued prosperity through mutually beneficial trade and co-operation."
In a sign the government is attempting to separate economic outcomes from security and military ones, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Wednesday Australia stood ready to engage in "respectful and beneficial" dialogue with the Chinese Communist Party.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.CREDIT:ALEX ELLINGHAUSEN
But added that, as part of any dialogue, Australia's national interest would be "non-negotiable".
The 14 items identified by the Chinese embassy document are seen by the Department of Foreign Affairs as key to Australia's national interest and non-negotiable, leaving the two countries facing the prospect of an extended diplomatic and economic dispute.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the Australian government makes "sound decisions in our national interest and in accordance with our values and open democratic processes."
"We are a liberal democratic society with a free media and a parliamentary democracy, where elected members and media are entitled to freely express their views," the department said in a statement.
"The Australian government is always ready to talk directly in a constructive fashion about Australia's relationship with China, including about our differences, and to do so directly between our political leaders.
"Such direct dialogue enables misrepresentation of Australia's positions to be addressed in a constructive manner that enables our mutually beneficial relationship."
Start your day informed
Our Morning Edition newsletter is a curated guide to the most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up to The Sydney Morning Herald’s newsletter here, The Age’s here, Brisbane Times’ here, and WAtoday’s here.
'If you make China the enemy, China will be the enemy': Beijing's fresh threat to Australia
A deliberately leaked Chinese government document has laid out 14 disputes aimed at pressuring the Morrison government to reverse Australia’s position on key policies.
Eryk Bagshaw is the China correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Due to travel restrictions, he is currently based in Canberra.
Anthony Galloway
Anthony is foreign affairs and national security correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
China shows official list of reasons for anger with Australia
By Jonathan Kearsley • Political Reporter
7:25pm Nov 18, 2020
The toxic state of the relationship between Canberra and Beijing has been laid bare in a list of 14 grievances Chinese officials have handed 9News.
At the top of the list are decisions to ban Huawei from the rollout of the 5G network, foreign interference laws, and calling for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19.
One official said to 9News "why should China care about Australia?"
READ MORE: Australia to bolster defence ties with Japan amid China's rise
"China is angry," the official said.
"If you make China the enemy, China will be the enemy."
It is the bluntest assessment of the relationship ever delivered by a Chinese government official and the list is a clearest indication of how deep the fracture in the relationship runs.
Related
- Coronavirus was in US in mid-December last year, study suggests
- Kim Jong-un gets experimental coronavirus vaccine from China: reports
- Chinese newspaper warns of Australian 'evil' over ships in the South China Sea
- Banning Huawei from the roll-out of 5G over "unfounded" national security concerns
- Foreign interference laws, "viewed as targeting China and in the absence of any evidence"
- Calls for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus - "siding with the US' anti-China campaign"
- Speaking out on the South China Sea
- Speaking out on human rights allegations in Xinjiang, accusing the government of "peddling lies"
- "Thinly veiled" allegations against China on cyber attacks which Beijing says lacks evidence
- And new foreign relations laws which give the federal government power to veto state, or local government agreements with foreign governments
"For years China has applied a strategy to Australia: shut up and take the money," Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Peter Jennings told 9News.
"They don't want Australia to be expressing views about what we think is important in regional security.
READ MORE: How China and Russia might view the end of the Trump Presidency
"No Australian can live with that, no democracy can live with that.
"Increasingly we are going to be at loggerheads. I'm afraid Australians need to get used to this being the reality of how our relations with China will work probably for years to come."
Last night, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian rattled off a similar but shorter list of accusations levelled against Australia, accusing the Morrison government of a "blatant violation ... of international relations", by speaking out over what it viewed as risks to "democratic processes" in Hong Kong and human rights abuse allegations in Xinjiang.
Mr Zhao said Australia had "slandered and accused China of engaging in intervention and infiltration activities in Australia", and engaged in "political manipulation" over the independent inquiry into coronavirus.
READ MORE: Australia mocked by China over 'Asian NATO'
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson also accused the Australian government of being to blame for the state of the relationship, saying responsibility for the deep troubles, "doesn't lie with China at all" and urged Australia "do more things conducive to enhancing mutual trust".
Mr Zhao "hopes the Australian side will own up to the real reason for the setback in bilateral relations".
9News has been told the relationship is being dealt with at a "very low level" from Beijing, because of a "bad atmosphere", and that China will not take calls at a ministerial level, because it would be "meaningless ... the atmosphere is bad", suggesting talks at that level would only resume if Australia backed away from policies on the list, as it "would be conducive to a better atmosphere".
There are also veiled warnings of the future of the Confucius Institutes at universities if the government's proposed foreign relations legislation is to pass the parliament.
The view in Beijing is Australia does not think independently, and is following the lead of the US, that allegations of cyber attacks and foreign interference are "baseless" and have repeatedly called for evidence to be put on show.
China has already imposed trade barriers on beef, wine, barley, lobster and timber.
After Australia spoke out about the disqualification of opposition lawmakers in Hong Kong, warning it "seriously undermines Hong Kong's democratic processes", the Chinese Foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wengbin warned, "should they insist on going down the wrong path China will make firm, legitimate and necessary reactions."
The Australian government has been left in no doubt how the Chinese government feels.
"The Australian Government makes sound decisions in our national interest and in accordance with our values and open democratic processes," a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.
"We are a liberal democratic society with a free media and a parliamentary democracy, where elected members and media are entitled to freely express their views."
China shows official list of reasons for anger with Australia
www.9news.com.au
A bombshell dossier containing a long list of reasons China is “angry” at Australia has been deliberately leaked in a move that will alarm Scott Morrison.
Rohan Smithro_smith
NOVEMBER 19, 20209:43AM
ASIO warns countries like China are grooming Aussies for spy operations
Remember back in August when China’s Deputy Head of Mission Wang Xining made that extraordinary speech at Canberra’s National Press Club outlining how Australia had wronged the Communist state?
It was a pointed attack at Australia over its decision to back an independent inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic – a decision the diplomat compared with the stabbing of Roman emperor Julius Caesar.
The rift over where coronavirus originated has dominated the relationship between the two previously strong allies. But it is far from the only reason China is “angry” at Australia.
A deliberately leaked document delivered by the Chinese embassy in Canberra to The Age newspaper reveals 14 disputes that are “poisoning bilateral relations”.
“China is angry,” an official said after the leak on Tuesday. “If you make China the enemy, China will be the enemy.”
RELATED: ‘Dangerous’: China erupts at Australia
Chinese President Xi Jinping. Picture: Kevin Frayer/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images
RELATED: America’s brazen move to offend China
The list of grievances cited by Chinese officials reportedly includes calls for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19, taking sides over the South China Sea territorial dispute, “thinly veiled” accusations that China is behind cyber attacks and banning Huawei from the rollout of 5G because of security concerns.
A new military pact between Australia and Japan has also ruffled feathers in Beijing where Chinese state media described it as “dangerous”.
“We suggest Japan and Australia exercise restraint on the way to form a quasi military alliance against China,” a Global Times editorial read on Tuesday night.
“They will surely pay a corresponding price if China’s national interests are infringed upon and its security is threatened.”
The Global Times condemned both nations for “recklessly” taking the first step to conduct deep defence co-operation that targets a third party, and accused them of shifting the responsibilities of safeguarding regional unity to China.
RELATED: Australia’s new landmark defence pact
Chinese soldiers applauding during a military parade in May. Picture: AFPSource:AFP
RELATED: ‘Offended’ China’s plan to punish Australia
“This is not only unfair, but also very dangerous,” it wrote.
In August, the Chinese diplomat who fronted the Press Club in a rare display of outward aggression said Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s decision to back the inquiry into the origins of the virus had “hurt the feelings” of Chinese people.
“All of a sudden, they heard there was this shocking proposal coming from Australia, which is supposed to be a good friend of China,’’ Wang said.
“If you are able read Chinese blogs, websites and even the comments of the blog of your Embassy in Beijing, you will be able to note the intensity of emotion of our people, how much indignation, anger and frustration they expressed, they used a lot of Chinese idioms and sayings to describe the emotion, but it is difficult to translate.
“I think it is approximately identical to Julius Caesar, in his final day when he saw Brutus approaching him: Et Tu Brute.”
The quote appears in William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, as the last words of Roman dictator Julius Caesar, at the moment of his assassination, to his friend Marcus Brutus, upon recognising him as one of the assassins.
Earlier in the address he had insisted COVID-19 could have originated in “two or three other places”.
RELATED: Aussie stimulus going straight to China
Chinese President Xi Jinping waves from a vehicle as he reviews troops at a military parade marking the 70th founding anniversary of People’s Republic of China. Picture: Thomas Peter/ ReutersSource:Supplied
RELATED: ‘Ready to fight’: China tensions rise
“Yes, I think it is up to the scientists to find out the origin, and also how it has been dealt with by different governments,’’ he said.
“I would like to call your attention to what has been said by Dr Michael Ryan. He is the executive director of WHO health emergency program, he said recently that patients zero is not necessarily found among the first cluster of coronavirus cases.”
The fallout has been felt at more than a diplomatic level. As we wrote a week ago, China is still “offended” by Australia’s comments and is taking steps to make those feelings clear.
The Victorian timber industry felt the full force of China’s will when out of the blue it blocked exports last week.
The official reason relayed to the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment was that several recent shipments contained bark beetles – a pest that feeds on the inner layers of trees.
The timber industry joins wine, coal, barley, copper ore, sugar and seafood industries on the banned list by China Customs.
But the story being told in China’s state media has holes in it, according to Dr Pradeep Taneja, who lectures at the University of Melbourne on Chinese politics and international relations.
“It’s hard to believe that suddenly over the last six months or so that there are so many problems with Australian exports to China,” Dr Pradeep told the ABC.
“It’s hard to believe. There may be, I’m not denying there could be problems. But those problems could be resolved fairly easily if the two countries were talking to each other.”
– with Samantha Maiden
China leaks 14 reasons it’s ‘angry’ at us
Remember back in August when China’s Deputy Head of Mission Wang Xining made that extraordinary speech at Canberra’s National Press Club outlining how Australia had wronged the Communist state?
www.news.com.au
