China takes aim at Australian government for racist policies
China has taken a swipe at Scott Morrison, accusing Australia of enacting racist policies during the coronavirus shutdown.
In an interview in the Chinese government mouthpiece, the Global Times, China Market Research Group founder Shaun Rein said COVID-19 spread globally because of the “failed policies stemming from Europe, the US and Australia”.
“(Scott Morrison) banned immediately Chinese mainland people from visiting Australia,” Mr Rein said in the report.
“But for months, he didn’t ban Italians from visiting Australia even when Italy was plagued with the virus.
“Other countries were sinophobic when it came to containment of COVID-19.
“(The) virus doesn’t care about your race or your rationality. It just goes after humans. That’s their first mistake.”
Morrison praised the Chinese-Australian community in September for following home quarantine requirements at the beginning of the pandemic.
“The risk was greatest where people were returning from mainland China and even Wuhan at one point,” Mr Morrison said.
“That home quarantine was followed incredibly assiduously by our Chinese-Australian community and that, as I’ve said on many occasions, proved absolutely vital in Australia’s success in managing the impact of that first wave.” Meanwhile, Australian rock lobster exports were revealed on Monday as the latest product to come under the microscope of Chinese authorities as trade tensions grow between the two partners.
Tariffs on barley, bans on some beef, restrictions on coal and investigation on wine have just been some of the impacts Australian produce has faced during the dispute.
But Mr Rein accused some Australian politicians of “fearmongering” and becoming “more sinophobic”.
“They are listening as lapdogs of the Trump regime,” Mr Rein told the Global Times.
“There is no reason for China and Australia to have tensions.
“Before COVID-19, China bought 38 per cent of Australia’s exports.”