Recently, a group of 30 Australian scholars submitted an open Letter to the Australian Federal Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

The scholars believed that the revised Foreign Influence Transparency Bill 2017 and Espionage and Foreign Interference Bill 2017 have excessively rendered “Chinese influence”, threatening civil liberties and academic freedom.

The scholars mentioned a public symposium “Chinese Australian Experiences and Community Sentiment” on 1 March 2018, detailing increasing reports of racism experienced by the Chinese community in Sydney over the past year.

Professor Jocelyn Chey (File photo)

In response, former Australian Consul-General in Hong Kong and founding director of the Australia-China Institute for Arts and Culture at Western Sydney University, Professor Jocelyn Chey, said that the revised national security laws exaggerated “Chinese influence”.

“… The relationship between Australia and China 40 years ago was a very simple one. It has grown and developed now so that it reaches into many different kinds of business and levels of society,” said Chey.

“I trust that the leaders of both countries will take into consideration the fundamental interests of the people and economies and not be over-influenced by media sensationalism.”

Chey emphasized that Australia’s future depends on the development of closer relations with China and other Asian neighbors.

“If we draw on our Western cultural heritage and have a better understanding of Chinese and other Asian cultures, this can unleash tremendous creativity and innovation in science, the arts and philosophy and make Australia a truly remarkable centre for learning in the new millennium,” said Chey.

The key to the development of China-Australia relations lies in the friendly cooperation between the two governments, Chey noted.