Australian media ‘defaming’ Chinese companies, Embassy says

The Chinese Embassy has taken aim at media groups who highlighted those that bought up medical supplies in Australia to send back to China.

The Chinese Embassy in Australia has accused some media outlets of ‘defaming’ Chinese companies in Australia for sending medical supplies back to China. Picture: AFP

The Chinese Embassy in Australia has accused media organisations of “defaming” Chinese companies who bought up medical supplies in Australia to send back to China earlier in the COVID-19 crisis.

In a move that has been widely condemned Chinese property developers purchased tonnes of medical equipment in January and February to send to the virus epicentre of Hubei province – including now scarce personal protective wear – before Australia triggered its emergency coronavirus response.

Minister and Deputy Head of Mission Wang Xining at the Chinese Embassy in Canberra. Picture: Gary Ramage

But the Embassy hit back at criticism of the companies, saying it was “no different” to the actions of Australian firms, including Fortescue Metals Group, Rio Tinto and BHP, now trying to source medical equipment in China.

“Some Australian media such as SMH and The Australian are keen to defame the local Chinese companies who did similar things here in February,” the Embassy said.

While China initially covered up the coronavirus outbreak, the Embassy said when the supplies were bought “it was known to all that at the time China was in great need of certain medical materials in its fight against COVID-19”.

“The procurement by the Chinese business was just to help China overcome difficulties,” it said.

“What they did bears no difference with what the Australian companies are doing at the moment in China, which is to help this country to get the badly needed medical items in response to (the) COVID-19 outbreak.

“The Aussie media are misleading the public. (They) maliciously characterised the Chinese companies’ purchasing, a purely humiliation move, as ‘scandal’.

“Then how do they characterise the Aussie companies’ procurement in China? Another Scandal?”

The Embassy said two plane loads of about 45 tonnes of medical materials procured by FMG’s Minderoo Foundation arrived in Perth from Shanghai in the past week.

The shipments included 300,000 face masks, 50,000 N95 face masks, 9960 medical goggles, 50,500 medical coveralls.

“And there are more to come,” the Embassy said.

The companies involved included Property developer Poly Global, Risland Australia and the Greenland Group.