The Chinese Communist Party is reeling from the global backlash against its secrecy about the origins of COVID-19. As the pandemic spreads across the world, the CCP is resorting to the politics of distraction. It has mounted a disinformation campaign to corral developing nations around a common enemy, the West. It is reopening old wounds and exhuming race-war rhetoric in a bid to stop the truth about COVID-19 emerging. Nations refusing to submit to the party line are targeted by the CCP with the same tactics it uses to silence political dissidents: smears, slander and threats.
The worst scenario for the CCP is unfolding. It fears that internal dissent in China over COVID-19 will destabilise the party. It fears growing external support for the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong. It is anxious about the long-term impact of nations turning away from “made in China” and embracing trade diversification. And it is desperate to rally support for multilateral institutions to counter its loss of influence in international affairs.
At a time when the CCP is seeking more political power through trade and aid, its popular appeal is on the wane. The party’s response is to dig deep into the past and reopen old wounds.
To divert attention from its cover-up of COVID-19, the CCP is smearing those who challenge its lies. It has falsely accused Australia of being a racist nation and warned Chinese people not to come here. China’s foreign ministry alleged Australia does not protect the safety or rights of Chinese nationals. Its education ministry alleged racist discrimination was rife.
The evidence is weak, but CCP propaganda is strong. The comrades have thrown out driftnets and come up with an ocean of rubbish. The apparent cases of discrimination are largely related to general complaints and unproven allegations. Despite claiming “abundant evidence” of frightening racism in Australia, CCP newspaper The Global Times cited three instances of alleged violence. No act of brutality should go unpunished, but if violence against Chinese people is the measure of racism, the CCP is guiltier than most. Its founding father, Mao Zedong, oversaw the killing of about 45 million Chinese during successive communist revolutions. President Xi Jinping praises Mao and seeks to emulate him. He is doing a fine job of that. Under his rule, Chinese people have been “disappeared” for thinking differently to rich party officials The CCP and anti-Chinese violence go hand in hand. The Chinese people’s greatest enemy is their own government.
In 2014, Xi reinforced the Maoist line by tightening party control over universities. The CCP demanded ideological conformity to state Marxist-Leninism and called for party-building efforts on campus. Party officials targeted liberal academics after a state media outlet reported they were criticising Mao. Notably, they described the act of criticising the genocidal father of Chinese communism as defaming China.
Xi’s act against freedom of thought in higher education was a harbinger. State censorship has increased as the CCP seeks to regain control of people tired of living under the yoke of communism. State-sponsored speech control is not only vital to the survival of the party, but also for control over young people who leave China to study in the liberal West.
CCP officials have threatened students after protests for democracy in Hong Kong and Uighur human rights were held on Australian campuses. Nine Entertainment newspapers reported a notable incident where a student protester in Queensland received a call following an unwelcome visit to his family home in China. His mother relayed authorities’ warning about “anti-China rhetoric” in Brisbane. The family had assured officials the student was loyal to the CCP and told him to keep them safe by not attending mass “gatherings”.
From the protection of embassies and consulates, CCP officials intimidate the citizens of other countries. After protests for Hong Kong democracy turned violent at the University of Queensland last year, China’s consul-general in Brisbane, Xu Jie, praised pro-China activists who had thrown punches. After a public backlash, the Chinese embassy in Canberra defended Xu.
CCP officials go further than verbal support for violent censorship when given the opportunity. China’s ambassador to Sweden, Gui Congyou, made threats against the Swedish media after reports criticising the CCP’s mistreatment of political dissidents. The media had every reason to defend dissidents after Chinese-born Swedish citizen Gui Minhai was abducted by Chinese agents. Gui was known for publishing stories about party members that cast them in a less than favourable light. The ambassador defamed the man and threatened the literary group, PEN, for awarding him a freedom prize. The ambassador later compared Sweden to a lightweight punching above its weight in trying to defend the free thinker against “heavyweight” China.
Communists have long viewed the West as a threat. For Mao, it represented the individual freedoms and democratic demands that narrow the scope of totalitarian activity.
Liberal intellectuals were more likely to question the world around them and resist indoctrination because they were taught that a real education meant learning how to think, not what to think. For a totalitarian, education is a lesson on what to think.
For people who want to learn how to think, consider the CCP’s claim that Australia is racist and Asians are unsafe here. If that were true, why are Chinese people so desperate to live here? Why do people from all over the developing and developed world rush to our borders? Why are there queues at our door? Why are Asians, Muslims, Africans lining up to become part of Australian life? And why do Australians welcome people from all over the world every day of every year? Why does Australia have such a robust legal system for racial equality and non-discrimination? How do we manage to have such a wealth of cultural diversity — so many religions and faiths and ways of life — in one country without compromising individual freedom or descending into mass violence?
There are few nations that are as egalitarian as Australia. Instead of lecturing us on racial equality, the CCP should sit down and take notes.
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