Beijing has issued an extraordinary attack on the Australian government, accusing it of "poisoning bilateral relations" in a deliberately leaked document that threatens to escalate tensions between the two countries.
The government document goes further than any public statements made by the Chinese Communist Party, accusing the Morrison government of attempting "to torpedo" Victoria’s Belt and Road deal, and blaming Canberra for "unfriendly or antagonistic" reports on China by independent Australian media.
"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.
The dossier of 14 disputes was handed over by the Chinese embassy in Canberra to Nine News, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in a diplomatic play that appears aimed at pressuring the Morrison government to reverse Australia’s position on key policies.
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’s 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.
In a targeted threat to Australia’s foreign policy position, the Chinese official said if Australia backed away from policies on the list, it "would be conducive to a better atmosphere".
The dossier was delivered shortly before China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian laid the blame on Australia for the state of the relationship at a press conference in Beijing.
"The Australian side should reflect on this seriously, rather than shirking the blame and deflecting responsibility," he said.
https://www.theage.com.au/world/asi...resh-threat-to-australia-20201118-p56fqs.html
