Scott Morrison says Australia won't respond to Chinese 'coercion' over warning about universities - ABC News

The Prime Minister has declared Australia will not surrender its values in response to "coercion" from China, in the wake of Beijing's latest blow to another key export industry.

Key points:

• China has urged students to not study in Australia, citing racist attacks
• Scott Morrison says Australia will not be "intimidated by threats"
• Tension between the two countries has been further strained during the coronavirus pandemic

The Federal Government has been left scrambling to respond to a multi-billion-dollar threat to the international education sector, after China warned students against studying in Australia, alleging "racist incidents" amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Using the word "coercion" for the first time since the diplomatic spat began, Scott Morrison told Sydney radio station 2GB it would be up to Chinese students to decide whether they want to come to Australia.

"Australia provides the best tourism and education products in the world and I know that is compelling," he said.

"We are an open-trade nation but I am never going to trade our values in response to coercion from wherever it comes."

"One thing Australia will always do is act in our national interest and never be intimidated by threats."

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Two female international students were allegedly assaulted in April

Australian universities have rejected accusations campuses are unsafe, and Chinese students have echoed those calls.

Tensions between Canberra and Beijing have continued to escalate over the Australian Government's push for an international inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic.

In April, Foreign Minister Marise Payne accused China of "economic coercion" after warnings of a consumer backlash against key Australian goods and services.

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Marise Payne says the international community should look at the origins of the pandemic.

Just weeks later, tariffs were placed on Australian barley, while some beef imports were blocked.

Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has repeatedly tried to talk to his Chinese counterpart, but the requests have been met with stony silence.

When asked this week if he had secured a meeting — four weeks after the initial request — the answer was still no.

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Tourism has also been targeted, with the Chinese community being told not to travel to Australia and the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism also citing a spike in racism during the COVID-19 crisis as the reason.

There have been reports of people being racially abused in Australia during the coronavirus pandemic, but the Federal Government has repeatedly rejected Beijing's suggestion that Australia is unsafe.

"That's rubbish," the Prime Minister told Melbourne radio station 3AW on Thursday.

"It's a ridiculous assertion."

When asked why China was raising concerns about Australia, Mr Morrison said it was a matter for Chinese leaders.

"We have done nothing, nor sought do anything that is inconsistent with our values, or resort to be in any way hostile to our partnership with China," he said.

"We won't bow or trade away our values."

Tanya Plibersek says Australia is a safe place for Chinese students to study.(ABC News: Matt Roberts)

Labor's education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said Australia offered one of the best university systems in the world and looked forward to welcoming Chinese students back when international border restrictions are eased.

But she said Australia needed to take accusations of racism seriously.

"But this is not a reason for students from any country to decide to not study in Australia," she told RN Breakfast.

"It is a safe destination and a welcoming destination."

The head of the nation's largest university fears her sector is being damaged by the diplomatic stoush between Australia and China.

Monash University's vice chancellor Margaret Gardner said she hoped tensions between the two countries could be resolved soon.

"I think we're in the middle of very tense times diplomatically between China and Australia and in fact in this case universities and their students from China are part of the collateral," she said.

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2020-06-11 02:27:50Z
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