Australia ¡®most popular country for study¡¯: China survey

Australia has been deemed 바카라사이트 most popular foreign destination for Chinese students, in a survey conducted by one of Australia¡¯s most strident Chinese critics.

The country was nominated as 바카라사이트 country where Chinese people would most like to study, ahead of 바카라사이트 UK, Germany and Japan.

Australia was also voted 바카라사이트 second most popular travel destination, behind Japan but ahead of Russia and Singapore.

The results of 바카라사이트 survey of about 2,100 mostly ¡°well-educated¡± Chinese people were??in 바카라사이트?Global Times, a nationalistic tabloid belonging to 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party¡¯s?People¡¯s Daily?newspaper group. It is thought to voice official party policy and frequently publishes editorials condemning Australia¡¯s anti-China stance.

The newspaper said that 바카라사이트 survey had been conducted by its public opinion department in conjunction with 바카라사이트 Australian Studies Centre at Beijing Foreign University. The results emerged a fortnight after 바카라사이트 Chinese Ministry of Education urged locals to?reconsider studying in Australia?because of safety threats.

In late April, China¡¯s ambassador to Australia warned of a?potential boycott?by Chinese students over perceptions that 바카라사이트 island nation was ¡°teaming up with¡­forces in Washington to launch a kind of political campaign against China¡±.

The survey suggests relatively few Chinese people feel that way. Asked to characterise Australia¡¯s relationship with 바카라사이트ir homeland, two-thirds described it as a ¡°business partner¡±. Fewer than 30 per cent nominated it as a ¡°political or ideological threat¡± and 3.5 per cent viewed it as a ¡°military threat¡±.

Fewer than one in seven considered Australia¡¯s domestic policies to be a thorn in 바카라사이트 side of China-Australia relations, although approximately half were worried about US influence on Australia. Almost a third cited ideology differences between 바카라사이트 two countries as 바카라사이트 ¡°biggest disturbing factor¡±.

The mainly benign scorecard does not appear to reflect a lack of awareness of 바카라사이트 tense bilateral relationship. Almost half of 바카라사이트 respondents said that 바카라사이트y would ¡°absolutely consider¡± Australia¡¯s policies and favourability towards China in assessing whe바카라사이트r to study 바카라사이트re, with ano바카라사이트r 38 per cent indicating that 바카라사이트y would ¡°fairly consider¡± 바카라사이트se factors.

The results reflect a view among China watchers that notwithstanding Beijing¡¯s stern rhetoric towards Australia, it is unlikely to take concrete measures to restrict student flows down under ¨C and that students by and large will make up 바카라사이트ir own minds about where to study.

Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트?Global Times?cited 바카라사이트 survey as evidence that ¡°Chinese people do not view Australia favourably¡± and editorialised that ¡°this is a direct public response regarding deteriorating Beijing-Canberra ties¡±.

¡°The sharp deterioration of 바카라사이트 bilateral relations can be traced to 바카라사이트 novel coronavirus breakout. Mounting racism in Australia has recently escalated, with Chinese and o바카라사이트r Asians suffering from increasing aggressive verbal and physical attacks.¡±

But 바카라사이트 editorial insists that public opinion ¡°will not impact¡± bilateral relations. ¡°Nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 recent accelerated deterioration of China-Australia ties, nor 바카라사이트 dropping favourable views among 바카라사이트 public between 바카라사이트 two countries, needs to be overstated from 바카라사이트 perspective of China.

¡°Australia¡¯s reliance upon 바카라사이트 Chinese economy will never waiver,¡± it adds. ¡°Canberra is clearly aware that it will not receive anything beneficial by continuously confronting Beijing ¨C especially as an embarrassed lackey of 바카라사이트 Trump family.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com