China warns Australia again on tourism and education

Politics & Current Affairs

Beijing threatens to use outbound Chinese tourism and tuition payments to Australian universities as leverage amid escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

The University of Sydney. Photo via Louise Kennerley / Sydney Morning Herald

Almost two months ago, Australia began a campaign for transparency from the Chinese government about the origins of COVID-19. Largely, the call echoed the statements of other countries, including Germany and the U.S., but Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison went further and proposed reforms to the World Health Organization that would enable an international investigation on Chinese soil.

That push by Morrison outraged Beijing, and several volleys of accusatory statements pushed Australia-China relations to a new low. Beijing then appeared to follow through on a threat to wield economic leverage against Australia and rejected imports of Australian beef. Later, Australian barley was also hit by Chinese tariffs.

Beijing has kept up the pressureย in the past week by issuing a travel warningย for Chinese citizens going to Australia, while separately warning Chinese studentsย to โ€œexercise cautionโ€ in choosing to study in Australia. Both warnings cited an increase in racial discrimination against Chinese or Asians in Australia. Beijing is reportedly โ€œignoring Canberraโ€™s pleasโ€ for dialogue to resolve tensions, per Reuters.

  • The Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated its criticismย today of racial discrimination in Australia: โ€œThe existing discrimination and violence in Australia has recently been widely reported by Australian media and on the Internet. The Chinese embassy in Australia has also received many complaints and requests for helpโ€ฆWe advise Australia [to] face up to its problems, do some soul-searching and take concrete measures to protect the safety, rights and interests of Chinese nationals in Australia.โ€

Officials, universities, and students in Australia have pushed backย against the travel warnings.

  • Prime Minister Morrison called the travel warnings โ€œrubbish,โ€ and decried what he called โ€œcoersionโ€ from China, per Reuters.
  • The Group of Eight coalition of Australian research universities said it was โ€œdemonstrably untrueโ€ that students were unsafe in Australia, per the Guardian, while Australiaโ€™s education ministry also rejected the travel warnings.
  • Some Chinese students in Australia said the warnings were โ€œover the top,โ€ even as they said they had experienced some discrimination, the Australian ABC reports.

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