Chinese newspaper claims Australia is becoming Asia’s ‘poor white trash’

A Beijing spokesman has criticized Canberra, calling Australians “poor white rubbish” and grimly warning that there will be “consequences” if we do not behave well with China.

This morning, stories about Australia made the front page of the Global Times five times, a news website strongly aligned with the Chinese Communist Party. None of them were complementary.

Despite the insults and threats, editorials say China is being reasonable and Australia is out of place.

However, none of the stories addressed the subject of an Australian news reader who has reportedly been detained by police in China since mid-August.

AUSTRALIA A ‘NERVOUS BIRD’

In recent months, relations between Beijing and China have become increasingly contentious.
The Australian government called for an international investigation into the origins of the pandemic and has said it will consider granting Hong Kong residents the right to live in Australia while taking away the freedoms of the former colony.

In recent weeks, Canberra blocked the sale of Dairy Farmers’ milk producer Lion Dairy to a Chinese company, pointing to increased scrutiny over the Chinese-backed research and departments at Australian universities, and warning that it could halt Victoria’s cooperation with Beijing’s international flagship. Belt and Road Initiative. All of which has enraged Beijing.

China, in turn, imposed tariffs on Australian barley, blocked meat exports from several large Australian slaughterhouses, warned of racism on Australian campuses and made veiled threats that it might dissuade its students and tourists from going to Australia.

In announcing the foreign relations bill last week, Prime Minister Scott Morrison made no mention of China. On the contrary, he said: “Agreements that negatively affect Australia’s foreign relations or are inconsistent with our foreign policy could be avoided or terminated.”

In an article published this morning, the Global Times made it clear that it wasn’t buying it.
“China is the implicit target,” he said.

“Whenever it comes to China, Australia behaves like a nervous bird trying to find a way out, but ends up in a dead end.”

As is often the case in Global Times editorials and opinion pieces, Australia was portrayed as a slavish follower of American politics and was “giving up the opportunity to think and act independently.”

“It finds fault with China on almost every front where it cannot live without China, caught in a shameful dilemma.”

He said that while some Australians blamed China for “cold relations”, Canberra was in fact “the hostile one”.

But then he went on to threaten Australia with retaliation.

“If Australia sees this close economic relationship, as well as collaboration between China and Australia in other sectors, as a burden rather than an opportunity, it will face far-reaching consequences that it cannot bear. When that happens, the United States will not come to its aid. rescue. . “

There has been concern about the influence China is exerting on the institutions it finances. Last week, textbooks surfacing showing Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic, even though it is an independent nation, were being used in Victorian schools.

In another editorial, published Monday, the same newspaper said Australia was “moving backwards into a poor country in Asia Pacific.”

Australia, he claimed, was “provoking China” and was on a “lose-lose path” that would “undoubtedly cause enormous damage to its already badly damaged economy.”

“The drive for trade liberalization, investment facilitation, economic complementarity and the normalization of cultural exchanges has come to an abrupt end.”

The post recalled an infamous 1980 quote about Australia from then-Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

“If Australia doesn’t open up its economy and reduce unemployment, it runs the risk of becoming Asia’s poor white trash.”

China watchers have said that the opinion of its columnists is probably more extreme than that of the Communist Party leadership and that economic and cultural ties between China and Australia remain strong and numerous.

However, the articles published by the Global Times endorse Beijing’s policies to the core.

AUSTRALIAN ARRESTED IN CHINA

Relations between China and Australia took another worrying turn on Monday when it was revealed that an Australian journalist for China’s state television had been detained. Until now, the Global Times has avoided commenting on this obvious issue of concern.

Cheng Lei was a featured presenter on the English-language news channel China Global Television Network (CGTN). No charges appear to have been filed.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne confirmed that the Australian citizen, who reportedly has two children in Melbourne, has been in detention for weeks.

“A formal notification was received on August 14, 2020 from the Chinese authorities of his arrest,” he said.

“Australian officials had an initial consular visit with Ms Cheng at a detention center via video link on August 27 and will continue to provide assistance and support to her and her family.”

On Twitter, Ms Cheng, host of the CGTN business show, describes herself as a “passionate speaker on the history of China.”

He last tweeted on August 12. Your profile page on the CGTN website has disappeared.

Last week, China’s Deputy Chief of Mission in Australia, Wang Xining, told the National Press Club in Canberra that: “We are not trying to make Australia the People’s Republic of China.”

“We are not trying to replace their system with a presidential system. We are asking Hungry Jacks to sell Chinese dumplings.”

But that’s where the jokes ended.

Wang said the prime minister’s decision to support an investigation into the origins of the virus had “hurt the feelings” of the Chinese people.

Australia’s move caught the country by surprise, he said, just as it emerged to “take a breather” from the first outbreak in Wuhan and weeks of lockdown.

“Suddenly, they heard that there was a shocking proposal coming from Australia, who is supposed to be a good friend of China,” he said.