Global Times - Chinese web users call to boycott Australia

Chinese web users call to boycott Australia

Source: Global Times
[17:05 August 10 2009]
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In an online poll conducted by huanqiu.com on Saturday, over 87 percent of the respondents favored boycotting Australia as a destination for travel or study in retaliation for the country hosting Rebiya Kadeer, a Uygur separatist and inviting her to the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Shortly after The 10 Conditions of Love, a documentary about Kadeer screened at the Film Festival on August 8, some Australian media began lashing out at China.

"China is building her (Kadeer) up as the nation's latest public enemy No.1," the Canberra Times commented in an editorial and said the Chinese government has "a habit of shooting itself in the foot."

"The Rudd government does not, of course, believe Uygur leader Rebiya Kadeer is a terrorist," said a commentary entitled "Courage of her convictions" published on the website of The Australian. It criticized the Chinese government for turning Kadeer into the Uygur equivalent of Tibet's Dalai Lama through the excess and clumsiness of its own reaction.

In addition, Melbourne federal Labor MP Michael Danby and a group of MPs today will meet Kadeer in parliament.
The anti-China sentiment aroused by Australian media and politicians was strongly responded to by Chinese web users.

Most Internet users call on the Chinese government to impose some concrete measures against Australia, such as travel bans or study restrictions, as they believe such sentiment is not just held by individual politicians.
After India restricted the number of students going to Australia for study this June, China has become the top country from which Australia recruits international students.

Zhao Guojun, an expert from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said China holds chips to restrain Australia in terms of economy and foreign diplomacy, and that although China would like to develop economic and trade ties with Australia, it will also sacrifice some economic interests when it comes to curbing Uygur and Tibetan separatism.