Unjustified attack

IT IS not inappropriate for Australia to ban foreign political donations. But it is inappropriate for Canberra to cite Beijing as the reason. When Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull explained his country’s intention to crack down on external interference in domestic politics on Tuesday, he wrongly made China the scapegoat, by citing “disturbing reports about Chinese influence”.

The reports Turnbull mentioned were by Fairfax Media and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which have jointly been whipping up an antiChina backlash since June.

The two media outlets, basing their reports on speculation, have accused China of trying to influence the Australian political system by prompting Australian businessmen of Chinese origin to make donations to the country’s political parties.

Turnbull should not have bought into this media-orchestrated falsehood. And it is wrong for him to engineer his country’s policies based on the Australian media’s bias against China. The unjustified finger-pointing at China only hurts Australia’s ties with its biggest trading partner.

China has no reason to seek political influence in Australia. The growing bilateral ties, highlighted by strengthened economic co-operation and people-topeople exchanges, have remained the mainstream of interactions in recent years, benefiting both.

Substantive engagement at senior levels is needed to shore up the relationship by forging greater trust, instilling Australian leaders with the confidence to refute the unfounded accusations of anti-China proponents.