{"id":225599,"date":"2020-11-18T17:13:20","date_gmt":"2020-11-19T01:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/?p=225599"},"modified":"2022-09-09T18:21:50","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T01:21:50","slug":"chinas-wolf-warriors-demand-australia-curtail-civil-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chinadigitaltimes.net\/2020\/11\/chinas-wolf-warriors-demand-australia-curtail-civil-society\/","title":{"rendered":"China’s Wolf Warriors Demand Australia Curtail Civil Society"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amid steadily escalating tensions between Canberra and Beijing, a searing document charging Australia with \u201cspearheading the crusade against China\u201d<\/strong><\/a> has been intentionally leaked by Chinese authorities. The document, which outlines “14 disputes” Beijing has with Canberra, was reportedly given to Australian press by the Chinese embassy. At The Sydney Morning Herald Jonathan Kearsley, Eryk Bagshaw, and Anthony Galloway describe the document and follow up comments from Beijing, noting their potential to further damage the <\/span>deteriorating bilateral relationship:<\/span><\/p>\n

The government document goes further than any public statements made by the Chinese Communist Party, accusing the Morrison government of attempting “to torpedo” Victoria\u2019s Belt and Road deal, and blaming Canberra for “unfriendly or antagonistic” reports on China by independent Australian media.<\/p>\n

“China is angry. If you make China the enemy, China will be the enemy,” a Chinese government official said in a briefing with a reporter in Canberra on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

[…] The list of grievances also includes: government funding for “anti-China” research at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, raids on Chinese journalists and academic visa cancellations, “spearheading a crusade” in multilateral forums on China\u2019s affairs in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang, calling for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19, banning Huawei from the 5G network in 2018, and blocking 10 Chinese foreign investment deals across infrastructure, agriculture and animal husbandry sectors.<\/p>\n

In a targeted threat to Australia\u2019s foreign policy position, the Chinese official said if Australia backed away from policies on the list, it “would be conducive to a better atmosphere”. [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This comes after Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in April called for an investigation<\/a> into the origins of COVID-19, accelerating a downward spiral of Australian-Sino relations<\/a> that began in part with Australia\u2019s 2018 decision to ban Huawei from building its 5G network. Since the April call for the inquiry, tensions have grown steadily worse following Chinese embargoes on Australian products<\/a>, journalists forced to flee China<\/a> after an Australian CGTN anchor\u2019s disappearance<\/a>, and a conservative senator\u2019s \u201cMcCarthyist\u201d inquisition<\/a> into the loyalties of ethnically-Chinese Australians.<\/p>\n

\n

Here are the 14 disputes with Australia. https:\/\/t.co\/tJC6F9LgNs<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/wPDNfhPswN<\/a><\/p>\n

— Eryk Bagshaw (@ErykBagshaw) November 18, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n