The Australian Government was accused Wednesday of damaging China’s “feelings” after leading a global push for an independent investigation into the source of the coronavirus pandemic. One of China’s most senior diplomats made the claim as he categorically refused to acknowledge the virus originated in Wuhan.
Wang Xining, the deputy head of mission at China’s embassy in Australia, gave a rare address at the National Press Club in Canberra, where he said Australia’s focus on determining the origins of the virus had damaged international relations and crushed China’s populace.
“It hurts the feelings of the Chinese people … All of a sudden, they heard this shocking news of a proposal coming from Australia, which is supposed to be a good friend of China,” Wang said, according to SBS News.
Australia was one of the first countries to push the World Health Assembly, the governing body of the World Health Organization, for a “comprehensive, independent and impartial” investigation into the source of the coronavirus pandemic.
As Breitbart News reported, other countries rallied behind the call, however China appears not to have forgiven Canberra for voicing its opinion and challenging Beijing on the diplomatic stage.
Wang acknowledged China’s hurt, saying he believed Australia’s early push was unfair, because it had been advanced on the presumption that Wuhan was the source of the virus.
“We believe this proposal was targeted against China alone, because during that time Australian ministers claimed that the virus originated from Wuhan, from China, and they did not pinpoint any other places as a possible source,” he said.
“We don’t think it was fair.”
The Australians have also been among the most outspoken critics of China’s dangerous refusal to close the live animal “wet markets” seen as spawning grounds for the viral pandemic, and of the World Health Organization’s (W.H.O.) baffling endorsement of their reopening.
This is not the first time China has hinted at trade repercussions by China against Australia.
There were warnings by China’s ambassador to Australia, Jingye Cheng, back in April that Australia would pay an economic price over its inquiry call, a move described by an Australian minister at the time as “threats of economic coercion.”
Cheng said Australia’s support for the inquiry could result in Chinese tourists having second thoughts about visiting.
“Maybe the ordinary people will say ‘Why should we drink Australian wine? Eat Australian beef?’” he told the Australian Financial Review.
An editorial in the Global Times followed that up and accused Australia of “panda bashing” and victim blaming, saying “adventurism” which could damage the bilateral relationship “beyond repair.”
Beijing took the same approach when Australia became the first country aside from the U.S. to block China’s Huawei telecom giant from supplying equipment for its 5G network.
The latest diplomatic row is seen as an extension of that blow to China’s global standing and reflects its disdain for Australia daring to oppose Beijing.