According to the WeChat public account of the "Chinese Embassy in Australia", on July 1st, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian published an article titled "When Will These Safety-Lies Against China End?" in Australia's mainstream media outlets, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. In the article, he criticized some Australian institutions and media for frequently fabricating false claims about "China's security threats". He emphasized that these lies hurt the relations between the Chinese and Australian peoples. China has no intention of, nor has it ever, interfered in Australia. Instead, China brings cooperation and opportunities to Australia. He called on Australia to work hand in hand with China to make greater contributions to regional and even global peace and development.
The full text of the article is as follows:
Recently, some organizations and media in Australia have frequently fabricated and sensationalized lies about "China as a security threat." Although these lies have never been proven true, and no one who fabricated them has taken responsibility for it, they have deeply damaged the relations between the people of China and Australia, and undermined the atmosphere of friendly cooperation between the two countries. Perhaps this is exactly what some people want to see, but it fills me with deep concern.
Recently, Australian authorities played a video during their annual threat assessment announcement. The video referred to individuals suspected of “foreign interference” and implied China. In a society where the rule of law prevails like in Australia, it would not be excessive for innocent citizens to be prosecuted, as they believe the courts will ensure justice. However, while the relevant cases are still being adjudicated by the court, and the facts remain unclear, what kind of harm could such an official video cause to the parties involved? What signals does such one-sided information convey to the Australian public? And what impact will it have on Sino-Australian relations? China has long suffered from foreign interference, and it has never intended, nor has it ever carried out so-called “interference” in Australia.
In early June, the intelligence agencies of the "G5 Eye Alliance" jointly issued a so-called "security alert," accusing China of stealing intelligence. In response to external doubts, some friends said that they might provide at least some explanation to the public, just as they did back in the Iraq issue when they presented a bottle of laundry detergent as evidence. However, in the end, they didn’t even disclose any evidence related to China's alleged "lureing" citizens of other countries, such as chat records. Thus, the intelligence agencies of the "G5 Eye Alliance," touted as the "most powerful combination on earth," failed to find any substantial evidence when it came to serious issues involving major-country relations and regional peace and security. They created sensational accusations against other countries out of nothing.
In China, people often say, "Right and wrong are decided by the public." But in Australia, how have these fanciful stories become "evidence of China's wrongdoing"? The former US Secretary of State Pompeo once publicly stated, "I was the Director of the CIA. We lied, we deceived, we stole." Does this kind of unhealthy trend also spread from Washington to Canberra?
Rumors end with the wise, while facts outshine rhetoric. China adheres to a foreign policy of good-neighborliness and friendship, always developing friendly relations with countries around the world, including Australia, based on mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs. China has proposed and actively implements the Global Security Initiative, striving to achieve common security for the international community. China places great emphasis on protecting data privacy and security in accordance with the law. It has never, and will never, require companies or individuals to collect or store data in a way that violates local laws. China has successively proposed the Global Data Security Initiative and the Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative, calling for stronger international cooperation in cyberspace and digital governance to jointly address cybersecurity challenges. On issues of peace and security, China is one of the countries with the best record and reputation in the world.
The practices of the development of relations between China and Australia in the past few years show that how we view each other and how we handle our differences are fundamental issues that affect bilateral relations. The Chinese side has always insisted that China and Australia are friends, not enemies, and partners rather than competitors. It always views Australia and China’s relations from a strategic and long-term perspective. What China brings to Australia is cooperation and opportunities, as well as developmental benefits, not threats or challenges. Viewing China-Australia relations through the lens of Cold War thinking, and using 'national security' to describe China as a 'supposed enemy', is wrongful; it harms the feelings between friends and does not serve the interests of Australia and its people.
Facing the unprecedented changes in the world over the past century, China is willing to work hand in hand with Australia. Based on principles of equality, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and mutual benefit and cooperation, we will jointly implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders. We will continuously enhance political trust, properly manage and address differences, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly face risks and challenges, and promote the development of bilateral relations in a stable and progressive manner. We will make greater contributions to regional and even global peace and development.
