Espionage Bills in Australia Stir Fears of Anti-Chinese Backlash
"We’re in a position now where people are running scared." Australia has been thrown into turmoil over allegations
that China is trying to buy its politicians and sway its elections, charges that have led to increased scrutiny of the rising superpower’s efforts to influence Australia — and fears that a campaign to stamp out Chinese influence risks becoming a McCarthy-esque witch hunt.
Mr. White said that We don’t really know how to think about China because it’s not an ally but it’s not an enemy,
He and several other prominent critics of China said
that at the very least, the law would deter China from pressuring Chinese students at Australian universities, and from using proxies to influence politics with donations.
But a thunderous backlash has now erupted — with a public outcry condemning anyone accused of links to Chinese influence, and a series of new bills
that would strengthen espionage laws, outlaw foreign political donations and criminalize efforts to interfere in Australian democracy.
These efforts have intensified under President Xi Jinping, who seems to view Australia — which has benefited greatly
from trade with China — as a laboratory for efforts to sway opinion abroad and increase China’s global influence.
"There’s been a head of steam built up around this, and it’s not too far from a moral panic." Mr. White and others say
that the suspicions about China and Chinese-Australians reflect broader anxieties about an emerging geopolitical reality: The United States has become less reliable, while China plays an increasingly dominant role in both Australia’s economy and its changing demographics.