Listing China ‘the biggest issue’ shows Oz politicians’ disorientation

By Li Qingqing Source: Global Times Published: 2020/12/14 21:17:08

Australia Photo: VCG


Some Australian politicians have again shown how ignorant and ridiculous they can be. 

Barnaby Joyce, a member of the Australian Parliament for New England, said on Monday that "the biggest issue" facing his children's and grandchildren's "lifetime" is not climate abatement, but "how they live in a world where China is a superpower and is not a liberal democracy." 

China has promised to achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. Australia, however, not only refuses to fulfill its obligations on the international stage, but is even stuck in the old West-centered mind-set. Joyce claimed that "we have to get our priorities right," but he has got it all wrong by labeling China, rather than climate abatement, as Australia's so-called biggest issue. This is an irresponsible act for his children and grandchildren.

Why are Australia and other Western countries so obsessed with the so-called China threat theory? Because they cannot let go of their Cold War mentality. They believe the political systems of China and the West cannot coexist. 

Thus, they have launched an ideological attack on China, trying to maintain Western hegemony. These Western politicians understand that Chinese and Western values are not incompatible, but deliberately exaggerate the disputes in values, as if they can stand higher on the moral high ground.

China has been Australia's largest trade partner in the past years, yet some Australian politicians like Joyce regard China as the country's top issue. Australian politicians have shown their collective disorientation.

Australia has been very active in serving as the US' lap dog and attacking China. Clamoring for democracy, freedom and human rights, Australia has brought chaos and atrocities to Afghanistan. Its hypocrisy is obvious. 

But when it comes to shouldering responsibility on the global stage, Australia is not so active. It has turned a blind eye to the climate threat faced by mankind. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was denied a speaking spot during the Climate Ambition Summit on Saturday for the country's lack of ambition. Australia has not fulfilled its commitments under the Paris Agreement. In terms of reducing carbon emissions, Australia's gap with other countries is widening fast.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday called on all leaders to declare a "state of climate emergency" in their countries until carbon neutrality, but Joyce still believes Morrison "should not agree to a zero net emissions policy despite global and opposition pressure." 

This is open opposition to most countries' consensus. Being left far behind in terms of climate abatement, Canberra still has a ton of excuses to not fulfill its obligations. China, as well as most countries, has long jumped out of the Cold War mind-set. China has focused on the more far-reaching framework of building a community with a shared future for humanity. Yet, Australia is still babbling about its ideology and values, exaggerating ideological disputes between China and the West. This is pure retrogression. 

Australia has suffered from devastating wildfires in recent years, which have had a serious impact on the climate. Now, a bushfire is again haunting the country, burning more than half of the UNESCO world heritage-listed Fraser Island. Australia needs to stop fixing its eyes on China and avoid spreading the fire.

Posted in: OBSERVER

blog comments powered by Disqus