Australia interrogating, repatriating Chinese students, says Beijing

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – China on Tuesday accused Australia of interrogating and repatriating its students from the country.

Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, told a news conference in Beijing that the Chinese students are facing “unwarranted interrogation and even repatriation” from Australia.

Urging Canberra to “immediately stop” such a move, Wang asked Australia “to earnestly protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese nationals,” Chinese public broadcaster CGTN reported.

Earlier, reports had emerged that Australian security agencies had deported a Chinese student after interrogation at the airport when he was trying to enter the country on a student visa.

The Australian agencies took his cellphone and luggage for security check but “no illegal items were found.”

His visa was canceled and he was sent home from the airport for “hiding the experience of military training in college.”

According to the China Daily newspaper, another Chinese student “also faced wanton interrogation and was repatriated after photos of military training in college were found on the student's cellphone.”

The latest showdown in the bilateral relations comes after months of a tussle between China and Australia – a key ally of the US in the region and part of a loose security group called Quad along with Japan and India.

Similar incidents were also reported in the US last year where Chinese nationals were accused of stalking, harassing, and spying, triggering sharp responses from Beijing.

The relations between Beijing and Canberra have nosedived affecting bilateral trade as Australia joined its western allies in seeking a probe into the origins of the COVID-19.

Canberra is also cementing its bilateral and multilateral relations in the wider Asia-Pacific region to counter China’s expanding economic and military influence.