• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
  • Volunteer
    • Internship with The Online Citizen
  • Donation
  • Subscription
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

China warns of racism in Australia, issues travel warning as row escalates

by The Online Citizen
08/06/2020
in International
Reading Time: 3 mins read
6

Asian family at Gold Coast airport with masks on and luggage Queensland.

Beijing warned Monday there has been “a lot of discrimination” against Chinese people in Australia, escalating a diplomatic row just days after telling its citizens not to travel there.

Tensions between Australia and China have been mounting on a number of fronts, and Beijing reacted with fury to recent calls for an independent investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus pandemic after it first emerged in central China late last year.

China stepped up the war of words again last week by telling its citizens to avoid the country altogether over safety concerns.

“Recently, there has been a lot of discrimination against Chinese and Asian people in Australia,” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular press briefing Monday.

“Many Chinese in Australia have been insulted or even injured…(and) graffiti or words with racist connotations against Chinese have appeared in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and other Australian cities.”

On Friday, China’s culture and tourism ministry had advised against travel to Australia due to increasing racism linked to the coronavirus.

Since Australian borders are closed to all non-essential inbound and outbound travellers because of the pandemic — with no date set for them to reopen — the advice from Beijing is largely symbolic.

Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham told the ABC’s Radio National on Monday that there had been racist incidents.

“But I think the idea that Australia, in any way, is an unsafe destination for visitors to come to is one that just does not stand up to scrutiny,” he said.

The anti-discrimination commission in New South Wales — Australia’s most populous state — said last week that there had been an increase in enquiries related to the pandemic and racism against people of Asian backgrounds.

The group said instances included people being bullied for wearing a face mask, spat at and harassed in public on their way to work, while they exercised or at the supermarket.

Anti-Discrimination NSW said it had also heard from people who have experienced violent race-related acts like their car window being smashed and racist language written across cars and private property.

Consumer boycott warning

The relationship between Beijing and Canberra has become increasingly troubled as China has become more assertive in flexing its growing military, economic and diplomatic power in the Asia-Pacific region.

In response to calls for an independent inquiry into the origins of the pandemic, the Chinese ambassador in Canberra had threatened a widespread consumer boycott of Australian products — a warning followed up by a bar on imports from four major Australian beef producers.

And then in May, China imposed an 80 percent tariff on Australian barley over dumping allegations, a move set to cost at least Aus$500 million (US$350 million) a year, according to five of the nation’s grain growers.

An editorial published by the nationalist Chinese state-run Global Times warned the travel alert “may just be the tip of the iceberg”.

“If Australia wants to retain the gain from its economic ties with China,” it said, “it must make a real change to its current stance on China, or it will completely lose the benefits of Chinese consumers.”

– AFP

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Source: AFP
Tags: AFP
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
6 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Recent Posts

  • S’pore to ban non-resident visitors from India starting 23 Apr, “until further notice”: MOH
  • S’pore, Hong Kong delay travel bubble announcement
  • When will Singapore return to normal given the continued imported cases?
  • HK Gov’t “appalled” by 80th rank on World Press Freedom Index and RSF report; what about SG?
  • India hits world record 1-day jump of 314,835 COVID-19 cases with new triple mutant variant appearing
  • Petition calls Singapore Government to ban travellers from India as COVID-19 cases soar there
  • Hong Kong journalist convicted over database search for mob attack probe
  • 11 more dorm residents of Westlite Woodlands test positive for COVID-19; 1,146 residents from same block will be sent to government quarantine facility for 14 days

Trending posts

WP MP Louis Chua encourages public to ensure their CPF nomination is in order, following recent encounter with a case which didn’t

S’pore to ban non-resident visitors from India starting 23 Apr, “until further notice”: MOH

Lawyer Kwa Kim Li to be referred to Disciplinary Tribunal over complaints of breaching attorney-client privilege, supplying “false and misleading information” and others

Netizens urge a ban on flights from India; slam experts who say it is not yet necessary

Why is S’pore still allowing workers from high-risk countries to arrive when other countries do not?

Expat from India discharged from hospital as recovered COVID case, who later goes on to infect 2 others

Petition calls Singapore Government to ban travellers from India as COVID-19 cases soar there

Mismanagement of public property at Sungei Api Api must stop; tax dollars down the drain

Singapore falls to 160 in 2021 World Press Freedom index; situation classified as “very bad”

Travellers from India arriving in Singapore to serve 21-day Stay-Home Notice starting 22 April

Load More
June 2020
MTWTFSS
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930 
« May   Jul »
  • About Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donation
  • Subscription
  • Letter submission
  • Contact Us

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

wpDiscuz
6
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x
| Reply