China’s new ambassador to Australia chided protesters who heckled him yesterday during a speech about the future of relations between the two countries.
Xiao Qian (肖千), who has only been in the role since January, had just begun his speech at the University of Technology Sydney when the first protesters interjected, calling for freedom for Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.
The ambassador was repeatedly interrupted by sign-wielding protesters, some criticizing China’s treatment of the Uighur people as well as the university for inviting Xiao to speak.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“People who are coming again and again to interrupt the process, that’s not expression of freedom of speech... This should not be welcomed,” the ambassador said.
James Laurenson, director of the Australia-China Relations Institute, which invited Xiao to campus, said that the university “welcomes freedom of speech on campus ... that right, however, does not extend to speaking over the top of invited guests.”
During the ambassador’s speech, one protester was escorted from the room by security as she yelled: “The University of Technology cannot platform a representative of a genocidal dictatorship.”
Another protester’s sign, which read: “Free Tibet, Free East Turkestan [Xinjiang],” was ripped from his hands by a member of the audience.
China and Australia have been at loggerheads for years after Canberra cracked down on foreign interference and called for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19, while Beijing responded with sweeping trade sanctions.
In his speech, Xiao said that Australia had fired the “first shot” in deteriorating trade relations, but that there was an opportunity to improve bilateral ties if the new government in Canberra took action.
“The previous government in this country made certain policies and took certain actions that virtually stopped the normal business cooperations and relations between Huawei [Technologies Co] and the counterparts in Australia,” he said in response to a question. “That perhaps could be described as the first shot that really damaged our normal business relations.”
He disputed that China had imposed the trade sanctions on Australian goods, saying that they were a response to dumping complaints by Chinese companies, or Chinese consumers expressing their unhappiness at Australia.
There was an “opportunity for possible improvement of relations” with the new Australia government after the exchange of letters between leaders of the two nations, and a meeting between defense ministers on the sidelines of a Singapore conference, Xiao said.
“There are five major areas where it is important at least in my view for China and Australia to make joint efforts,” he said.
Australia should respect China’s socialist political system, stick to mutual benefit in economic matters with “favorable and fair” policies, be rational on security, cooperate with China in regional affairs, and “properly handle differences,” he said.
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