China hypersensitive to scrutiny

At their Queenstown meeting, Scott Morrison and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern were restrained and responsible in their comments about our region’s serious geo-strategic challenges. Their agreed communique warranted nothing like the overblown hostile reaction of Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. The two prime ministers, Mr Wang scolded, had made “irresponsible remarks” on China’s internal affairs relating to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and the South China Sea.

To the contrary, Mr Morrison and Ms Ardern stated the facts in straightforward, non-emotive terms. For good reason, they expressed serious concern over developments in the South China Sea, including “the continued militarisation of disputed features and an intensification of destabilising activities at sea”. They also observed limitations on “the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong” that “undermine the high degree of autonomy China guaranteed Hong Kong until 2047”.

The human rights of the Uighur people, they said, were of “grave concern”.

Australia and New Zealand, Mr Wang claimed, had “made groundless accusations” and “grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs and seriously violated the international law and basic norms governing international relations”. That disproportionate reaction shows that even the mildest criticism or scrutiny is anathema to the Chinese Communist Party, which is now the most powerful organisation in the world, as Rowan Callick wrote on Tuesday.

Mr Wang’s comments will further ratchet up regional tensions.