During the general election in May this year, Prime Minister Morrison ran for Liao Yue`e. ABC News: Marco Catalano
Recently, congressman Liao Yueh, the first overseas-born Chinese woman in Australia`s House of Representatives, has become the focus of the media, politics and the public.
Media reports revealed Liao Yue`s contact with China`s United front department. Since then, she was asked three times in an interview with Sky News about her views on the South China Sea. She failed to answer directly, causing public opinion to be in an uproar.
In a parliament question last week, Labour repeatedly questioned whether Ms. Liao was the right person to enter Australia`s parliament, and Prime Minister Morrison has repeatedly defended Liao.
"Liao Yue`e is a Chinese-born Australian. But does that mean she conspired with the Chinese government? of course not," Morrison said.
"it`s an absurd statement. I think it`s an insult to every Australian Chinese in our country."
Questioning Liao Yue`e = racial discrimination?
Michelle Glatan (Michelle Grattan), a senior Australian journalist and a professor researcher at the University of Canberra, wrote that questioning Liao Yue councillor was not racial discrimination.
"she may be a victim of growing concern about China`s influence and interference in Australia," she said. "but the questions raised about Liao Yue-e are reasonable and important," she said.
"concerns about Chinese interference in Australian politics have something to do with the actions of this expansionary power, which is not based on race," Glatan said.
Laura Tinger (Laura Tingle), chief political affairs journalist of ABC, an Australian broadcaster, said the fund-raising problem was "still a fragile issue" for Liao and the Liberal Party, but also a problem for the Labour Party.
She pointed out that Labour has change a strategy since this week, accusing Prime Minister Morrison of doing something similar to what Labour has done recently.
"so the Labour Party turned its focus to the prime minister, pointing out that his integrity was problematic because he misinterpreted what Sam Daszyari (Sam Dastyari) called Shanghai Sam."
Morrison said he had never called Dasgiari`s former parliament councillor "Shanghai Sam," meaning he was unusual with China`s relationship.
"he has done this on 16 or 17 occasions before [calling Dasgiari Shanghai Sam]," Tinger said.
"so [Labour] they`re just taking advantage of this until they find the next wave of events to really try to reposition people`s views on Scott Morrison and his integrity."
Chinese media published an analysis of scholars praising Morrison
The Global Times published an English comment on Liao Yue-E`s incident in the essay chapter. (global Times)
A few days ago, the English edition of the Chinese state media Global Times published an essay chapter by Chen Hong, director of the Australian Research Center of East China normal University and executive director of the Asia-Pacific Research Center, pointing out that "the target of this fierce attack is not Liao Yue himself, but China."
"by suggesting that Liao Yue is a Chinese agent infiltrating the Australian federal political arena, Cold War fighters have once again warned that China`s actions against Australian political sovereignty and national independent evil threat. Have triggered a new wave of hysterical panic in China`s threat conspiracy theory."
The article argues that since 2017, Australian media, experts and politicians have been afraid of China and maliciously vilified China, "which makes fair-minded people in Australia and China feel disgusted and impatient."
Chen Hong pointed out that Australian Prime Minister Morrison condemned the slander of Liao Yue`s political loyalty, calling it "slanderous to Australian Chinese." He thought Morrison was honest in doing so.
"understandably, Morrison`s defense of Liao Yue`e is not without party motivation, but it means a lot to 1.2 million Chinese Australians who are unjustly suspicious and biased."
What does the Chinese community think?
In the Chinese community in Australia, the incident has also continued to ferment. In the new footprint forum of local Chinese, there has been a collision of views.
A netizen named Kakacii said: "this is about the existence of the Chinese community. If Liao goes on because of this, it will have a long-term negative impact on the relationship of China and Australia, on the Chinese people in politics, and on the influence of the Chinese people on Australian society."
Another netizen called on Liao Yuanye to "hold on."
"it has nothing to do with race. Scomo [to Morrison for short] is a little stiff," said one netizen named "lead Huang Qingtian."
Yuxuanlin, a netizen from the new footprint, said: "the most important sentence is, can Liao councillor represent 1 million Australian Chinese? is questioning Liao councillor discrimination against 1 million Australian Chinese?"
"one plays the red penetration card, the other plays the racial discrimination card," said netizen rocca2011.
The union of Hong Kong, Australia (abbreviated as the Macao-Hong Kong Federation) issued a public statement, pointing out that "Liao Yuen-e councillor deliberately conceals regret and injustice with the relationship of the Communist Party of China, and hereby requests the Australian government to re-investigate Ms. Liao`s connection with China`s Communist Party, and once again carefully consider whether Ms. Liao can hold the position of federal councillor under the premise of safeguarding her own interests and loyalty to the country."
"although Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has publicly stated that Ms Liao has been attacked by the outside world because of her place of birth and ethnic identity, as a group of people living in Macao and Hong Kong who also come from Hong Kong, we do not agree with the above," the statement said.
"Ms. Liao has been accused of questioning the integrity and loyalty of this person only on behalf of the public, not discrimination against any ethnic background," the statement said.
"Chinese should not be allowed to redouble their efforts to prove their loyalty."
The fermentation of Liao Yue-E comes at a summit of Asian-Australian leaders (Asian-Australian Leadership Summit) in Melbourne). The participants talked more or less about the topic.
Lisa Singh (Lisa Singh), the first parliament councillor from South Asia, the former federal senator representative of senator in Tazhou, said public opinion questions were reasonable, but media hype also showed its "ugly side of hysteria."
Tim Sofmarson (Tim Soutphommasane), a former racial discrimination commissioner of the human rights Commission in Australia, did not directly mention Liao Yueh`s incident in his speech, but said Australian Chinese had been questioned in the current social atmosphere.
"our society must not make Chinese in Australia need to work twice or triple as hard as people from other ethnic backgrounds to prove their loyalty. All citizen should be considered loyal to the country."
Former Australian Foreign Minister Evans said the current environment makes Chinese loyalty easily questioned.
Gareth Evans (Gareth Evans), who served as federal foreign minister in the 1990s and is now honorary president of the Australian National University, also pointed out that the current climate was unfair to Chinese.
"some people are extremely anxious about the influence of malicious Chinese, especially China`s Communist Party. This makes it harder for Australian Chinese to gain leadership than ever, and it is also difficult for Australian Chinese to obtain positions in areas considered sensitive to national security."
"this anxiety and fear must stop and stop as soon as possible, or we will all be repelled by it."
He also called on the Australian community not to speak of foreign intervention, subconsciously believing that the Chinese lack a sense of national identity.
"this environment completely distorts the fact that Chinese Australians have always been and will continue to maintain overriding loyalty to the country."
