‘Systemic racism and hate crimes’: China bashes Australia after diplomat voices concerns

China is accusing Australia of “systemic racism and hate crimes” after a senior diplomat struck a nerve in Beijing.

Anthony Albanese says his government “will always stand up for Australia’s interests” after Beijing lashed out at Canberra for voicing concerns about torture and slavery in China’s Xinjiang province.

China’s foreign ministry accused Australia of “systemic racism and hate crimes” in response to a senior diplomat calling on Beijing to implement all recommendations made in a United Nations report into the mass abuse of Uighurs in Xinjiang.

Commenting on the fiery verbal barbs on Thursday, the Prime Minister was unapologetic.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government “will always stand up for Australia’s interests.” Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“We, of course, will always stand up for Australia’s interests,” Mr Albanese told reporters after touching down in Samoa for a summit.

“And when it comes to China, we’ve said we’ll cooperate where we can, we’ll disagree where we must, and we’ll engage in our national interest, and we’ve raised issues of human rights with China.

“We’ve done that in a consistent and clear way.”

Australia’s UN envoy James Larsen moved a motion earlier this week calling on China to give independent observers “unfettered and meaningful” access to the Xinjiang, as well as Tibet, which China annexed more than 70 years ago.

In a harsh rebuke on Wednesday evening, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Lin Jian said Canberra’s criticism was driven by “ideological bias” and “selfish political interest”.

Australian Ambassador to the UN James Larsen struck a nerve in Beijing with his criticisms. Picture: X

“Australia, long plagued by systemic racism and hate crimes, have severely violated the rights of refugees and immigrants, and left Indigenous people with vulnerable living conditions,” Mr Lin said on state television.

“Australian soldiers have committed abhorrent crimes in Afghanistan and other countries during their military operations overseas.

“These Western countries turn a blind eye to their severe human rights issues at home but in the meantime point their fingers at other countries. This says a lot about their hypocrisy on human rights.”

The UN report referenced by Mr Larsen was released more than two years ago and detailed accounts of torture, weaponised rape and sexual violence, mass detention, slave labour and widespread surveillance in Xinjiang.

Despite countless witness testimonies and independent documentation of forced labour sites, which the Chinese government calls “vocational training centres”, Beijing has dismissed the findings of the UN report.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jiang went on a tirade after a senior Australian envoy voiced concerns about human rights abuses in China. Picture: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China

About 100 countries responded to Mr Larsen’s motion by saying China’s internal affairs were China’s business.

“The fact that over 100 member states voiced their support for China’s just position demonstrates what the international community truly stands for and shows that the attempt of a handful of Western countries, including Australia and the US, to resort to political manipulation under the pretext of human rights will gain no support and will never succeed,” Mr Lin said.

But the bulk of the countries have either signed up to China’s Belt and Road Initiative or have spotty human rights records themselves.

During his remarks at the UN, Mr Larsen admitted no country could profess a “perfect” record on human rights.

“No country has a perfect human rights record, but no country is above fair scrutiny of its human rights obligations,” he said.

“It is incumbent on all of us not to undermine international human rights commitments that benefit us all, and for which all states are accountable.”

Originally published as ‘Systemic racism and hate crimes’: China bashes Australia after diplomat voices concerns