Chinese envoy defends ‘panda huggers’ and blames media over ‘totally ridiculous’ concerns

Diplomat blames Australian media and ‘ridiculous’ security concerns for breakdown in Australia’s relationship with China.

China’s deputy head of mission, Minister Wang Xining. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

A senior Chinese diplomat in Canberra has blamed the Australian media and “totally ridiculous” security concerns for the breakdown in Australia’s relationship with China.

Addressing an audience of business people at a Chinese Lunar New Year dinner, China’s deputy head of mission Wang Xining said the rising power would remember who was on its side during the bilateral dispute.

“History will prove that it is wise and visionary to be China’s friends,” said Minister Xining in the first lengthy address given by China’s embassy in Canberra since he spoke at the National Press Club six months ago

Mr Wang also delivered a warning to those “people in Australia [who] choose to make enemies to sustain a living”.

“Those who deliberately vilify China and sabotage the friendship between our two countries … will be [cast] aside in history,” he said.

“Their children will be ashamed of mentioning their names,” he said, according to a transcript of the speech posted on the Embassy’s website.

The combative speech – given on Thursday night at Ruby Chinese, a restaurant in Dickson that was once owned by the father of movie star Jackie Chan – is the latest public intervention by China’s Canberra embassy since the already strained bilateral relationship spiralled to historic depths last April after the Morrison government called for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus without forewarning their Chinese counterparts.

Weeks after Foreign Minister Marise Payne first called for the inquiry on the ABC’s Insiders show, China’s ambassador Cheng Jingye gave an interview in which he warned of a boycott of Australian beef, wine and universities.

‘Rift will hurt millions’

In late August — by which time Beijing had imposed a crippling 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley exports to China, suspended multiple beef abattoirs and threatened huge tariffs for Australian wine – Minister Wang gave a relatively conciliatory speech about the frayed relationship, which he compared to marriage.

“While a rift between husband and wife hurts one family, a rift between two countries will hurt millions,” he said in August.

The next day, the Morrison government revealed legislation that allowed the federal government to rescind Victoria’s Belt and Road deal.

In November, diplomats at China’s embassy in Canberra circulated a list of 14 grievances with Australia, which included restrictions on Chinese investment, the ban on Huawei’s involvement in the 5G network and investigations into foreign interference.

By the end of 2020, more than $20b of annual Australian exports to China — over 10 per cent of the total — had been banned or interfered.

Minister Wang’s latest speech — titled “It Is So Difficult to be China‘s Friends in Australia Today” — was given at a dinner held by the ACT branch of the Australian China Business Council.

The Chinese diplomat said many of the business association’s members understood his country better than most Australians.

“Maybe you don’t fully agree with our model of governance and administration, but at least you respect and understand the reason behind our development path and model of governance.”

Media blamed for bad sentiment

Minister Wang said much of the bad sentiment in Australia towards China was the media’s fault.

“If these people are immersed by those 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.”

He said it was now a “really difficult time to be China’s friend in Australia”.

“Currently, the friends of China are given a nickname ‘panda-hugger’. It used to be a word of appreciation but now it carries derogatory meanings. It seems that being friendly to China, to be a friend of China becomes a sin and mistake in Australia.”

In addition to the media, Minister Wang said the bilateral relationship had been undermined by the suspicions of “a small number of people”, who he did not name.

“The excuse for such suspicion is China’s threats to Australian sovereignty and security, which is totally ridiculous. Because up to today no one single case has been substantiated or supported by evidence,” he said.

“And based on my observation, most of those people are siphoning off Australia’s financial coffer, and they squander on the cornucopia which is the hard-won product of the majority of Australian labour force.”

“When these people were barking loud, our friends had to bite the bullet,” he added.