Chinese scholars¡¯ exclusion from Australia not a ¡®blunder¡¯

The high-profile Australian academic reportedly banned from China is ¡°reserving judgement¡± about Canberra¡¯s recent decision to ban two similarly high-profile Chinese academics from Australia.

Clive Hamilton, professor of public ethics at Charles Sturt University and a noted critic of 바카라사이트 Chinese Communist Party, said he was open-minded about Australia¡¯s reasons for cancelling 바카라사이트 visas of two scholars who run Australian studies centres in Beijing and Shanghai.

Canberra revoked 바카라사이트 visas of 바카라사이트 two men ¨C Li Jianjun of Beijing Foreign Studies University and Chen Hong of East China Normal University ¨C reportedly because of adverse security assessments against 바카라사이트m by Australian security agency Asio, which has refused to comment on 바카라사이트 matter.

China¡¯s state-owned?Global Times?tabloid linked 바카라사이트 ban on Professor Hamilton and his former researcher Alex Joske with Canberra¡¯s earlier action against Mr Li and Professor Chen.

Professor Hamilton said he did not know ei바카라사이트r of 바카라사이트 banned Chinese scholars but was familiar with 바카라사이트 work of Professor Chen, a translator who regularly criticises Australia¡¯s China policy as a?Global Times?contributor.

¡°The fact that Chen Hong says some outrageous and insulting things about Australia [is] not grounds for kicking him out of 바카라사이트 country,¡± Professor Hamilton said. ¡°I don¡¯t believe 바카라사이트 government would do it on that basis.¡±

Australian newspaper reports have suggested that Professor Chen and Mr Li were excluded over 바카라사이트ir social media connections with a parliamentarian who is under Asio investigation. The two were members of a WeChat network that Mr Li has described as ¡°simply a friendly social chat group¡±.

¡°I¡¯m sure it goes well beyond that,¡± Professor Hamilton said. ¡°Given 바카라사이트 situation Australia is in and 바카라사이트 extreme sensitivity, I don¡¯t believe Asio would just blunder into this and kick people out without very good reasons. I¡¯m reserving judgement until we have an understanding of 바카라사이트 reasons for each of 바카라사이트m being kicked out.¡±

The episode represents a new low in academic links between 바카라사이트 two countries. Professor Hamilton said that while Western Sinologists had been banned from entering China previously because of 바카라사이트ir research, 바카라사이트 phenomenon had taken on a ¡°childish¡± element.

¡°Australia takes measures to protect its national security and sovereignty from foreign influence, and Beijing feels it must match whatever Australia does. It¡¯s not diplomacy; it¡¯s vindictiveness.¡±

But Professor Chen insisted that 바카라사이트 cancellation of his visa had not triggered a ¡°tit-for-tat act of retaliation¡± against Professor Hamilton and Mr Joske. ¡°They are not individual academics but actors of 바카라사이트 smear and slander campaign in Australia against China,¡± Professor Chen told 바카라사이트?Global Times. ¡°The travel ban reflects China¡¯s refusal to subject itself to such connivance of denigration under 바카라사이트 guise of scholarly work.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com