After China Cautions Its Students, Australia Rejects Racism Allegations

Australian officials and leading universities on Wednesday rejected China's claims that students should be "cautious" in choosing to study Down Under due to concerns about racist incidents during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Chinese Ministry of Education warned students on Tuesday that there were "multiple discriminatory incidents against Asians in Australia" during the pandemic, increasing diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

The announcement was the latest in a growing dispute between Beijing and Canberra that was deepened by Australia's call for an independent investigation into the origin and management of the coronavirus in central China last year.

Beijing reacted furiously to the demand, targeting Canberra on several fronts, including tourism, commerce, and now Chinese students, the largest foreign group in Australian universities.

Australia's Education Minister Dan Tehan responded on Wednesday saying the country was a multicultural society welcoming international visitors.

"Our success in flattening the curve means that we are one of the safest countries in the world for international students to be based right now," he said in a statement.

"We reject China's claim that Australia is an unsafe destination for international students."

Racism toward Asians reportedly increased during the pandemic, and the New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Commission said the cases included people who were bullied for wearing a face mask, spitting and harassing in public, and racist language written on cars. and private properties.

Vicki Thomson, executive director of Australia's prestigious Group of Eight universities, told AFP that they would be "very concerned" if Beijing's warning dissuaded students from coming to Australia.

"They have not provided us with evidence of racial discrimination issues on our campuses, and I think it is worth noting that we do not have many students on our campuses at this time," he said.

Thomson regretted that the sector had been "caught in the middle" of geopolitical tensions.

Australian universities already face massive losses as an indefinite closure of the coronavirus border blocks foreign students who inject billions of dollars a year into the sector.

from June 10, 2020 at 01:24PM
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