China speech: Leading Chinese diplomat attacks Australian free press

A leading Chinese diplomat in Australia says Canberra chooses to make enemies when others are making friends, laying the blame at the feet of the media for their poor relations.

China has chucked another tanty – and blamed Australia’s free press for the worsening relations between the two nations.

According to a transcript posted Tuesday to the Chinese Embassy’s website, senior Chinese diplomat Minister Wang Xining threatened Australia and said, “For a better future and for the next generation, most people choose to make friends.”

“But some people in Australia”, Minister Wang continued in his speech to the Australia China Business Council at a Canberra restaurant, “choose to make enemies to sustain a living.”

“Those who deliberately vilify China and sabotage the friendship between our two countries and do damage to our long-term friendship … out of their sectoral or selfish interest will be casted (sic) aside in history.”

“Their children will be ashamed of mentioning their names in the history.”

Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Xining says Australia chooses to make enemies, not friends. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The diplomat had particularly harsh words for “the Murdoch’s News Corporation (sic)” for “(claiming) that that the (coronavirus) must leak from a biological institute in Wuhan.”

He also said that his country was the victim of an unfair campaign of vilification by the press that was giving Australians an unfair impression.

“If these people are immersed by these negative portraits of China by the major media outlets and brainwashed by the vulgarised and simplified political slogans, how would they understand China and agree with your assessment and impression of China,” Minister Wang said, though Beijing’s expulsion of Australian journalists has meant there are no accredited members of the press from Australia in China.

“I believe those who vilified China know better than the Chinese people why they vilify China,” Minister Wang said.

“Currently, the friends of China are given a nickname, ‘Panda-Hugger’. It used to be a word of appreciation but it now carries derogatory meanings.”

“It seems that being friendly to China, to be a friend of China becomes a sin and a mistake in China … today it is really difficult to be China’s friend in Australia.”

Wang says friends of China used to be called panda huggers. Picture: Hsu Tsun-hsu/AFP

Minister Wang’s speech was notable for what it failed to mention, namely the reasons for the faltering diplomatic relationship between China and Australia.

These include China’s reported cultural genocide of the Uighyur people, expansionist activities in the South China Sea, crushing of the Hong Kong democracy movement, and Beijing’s concealment of the coronavirus as it spread around the globe.

The Morrison government’s push for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic and refusal of Huawei’s request to build the country’s 5G network, as well as investigations into Chinese attempts to undermine Australian sovereignty at the highest levels, have led to a rolling trade war with China that has seen exporters punished to the tune of tens of billions of dollars.

China’s arrest of democracy activists in Hong Kong is one of the differences between China and Australia. Picture: Anthony Kwan/Getty Images

However Minister Wang stopped short of the fiercer rhetoric of some so-called “Wolf Warrior” diplomats, including the spokesman for the Chinese Embassy who last year threatened, “China is angry. If you make China the enemy, China will be the enemy,” as he handed down a list of grievances from Beijing.

Nevertheless, Minister Wang concluded that “friendship requires persistence, friendly people need to stay together and help each other.”

“Your Chinese friends will work with you to enhance our mutual friendship and collaboration (and) breeze through this difficult time for the next spring of China-Australia friendship.”