Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has firmly dismissed allegations from China accusing Australia of being “plagued by systemic racism and hate crimes,” following a renewed condemnation of China’s human rights record by a group of Western nations led by Australia.
Albanese, addressing reporters on Thursday during his visit to the Pacific Island nation of Samoa for a Commonwealth leaders’ summit, reiterated Australia’s stance on its relationship with China: “When it comes to China, we’ve said we’ll cooperate where we can, we’ll disagree where we must, and we’ll engage in our national interest, and we’ve raised issues of human rights with China,” he stated.
The diplomatic row erupted after China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian harshly criticized a statement delivered at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this week. The statement, presented by Australia’s ambassador to the U.N., James Larsen, highlighted concerns about ongoing human rights violations in China’s Xinjiang and Tibet regions.
Larsen urged China to uphold its international human rights obligations, specifically calling for the release of individuals “arbitrarily detained” in both regions and for urgent clarification of the fate and whereabouts of missing family members. This statement was supported by 15 other Western nations, further escalating tensions between China and Australia.
Lin Jian fired back, accusing Australia of hypocrisy and deflecting attention away from its own domestic issues. “Australia has long been plagued by systemic racism and hate crimes,” Jian said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the country should focus on resolving its internal human rights issues rather than pointing fingers at China.
China has faced mounting international criticism over its actions in Xinjiang, home to around 11 million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities. In 2017, the Chinese government initiated a sweeping assimilation campaign that has involved mass detentions, forced labor, family separations, and alleged political indoctrination. Independent reports estimate that over 1 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other ethnic minorities have been detained in extralegal internment camps. China initially described these camps as “vocational training centers,” aimed at curbing religious extremism and providing economic opportunities.
However, human rights organizations and several countries, including the United States, have labeled China’s actions in Xinjiang as “genocide” due to the reported use of forced sterilizations, destruction of Uyghur cultural sites, and widespread surveillance aimed at repressing the Muslim-majority region’s ethnic identity.
In 2022, the U.N. Human Rights Office released a report confirming that the allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang were “credible” and suggested that China’s actions could amount to crimes against humanity. Similar concerns have been raised about Tibet, where reports point to coercive labor practices, cultural and religious suppression, and detentions of peaceful political protesters.
Larsen’s U.N. statement also addressed the situation in Tibet, citing “credible” reports of human rights abuses similar to those seen in Xinjiang. He emphasized the need for independent observers to be granted “unfettered and meaningful access” to both regions, something China has consistently denied.
“No country has a perfect human rights record, but no country is above fair scrutiny of its human rights obligations,” Larsen stated, in a pointed remark aimed at China’s rejection of international scrutiny.
In response to the U.N. statement, Lin Jian turned the spotlight on Australia’s human rights record, denouncing what he called Australia’s “hypocrisy.” Lin cited Australia’s controversial policies toward refugees, immigrants, and Indigenous people, which have been widely criticized by human rights organizations.
“Australian soldiers have committed abhorrent crimes in Afghanistan and other countries during their military operations overseas,” Jian added, referring to allegations that Australian elite soldiers unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers, and civilians between 2005 and 2016. These accusations led to a number of senior Australian military officers being stripped of their medals in recent years.
China has also consistently condemned Australia’s immigration policies, particularly the country’s harsh stance on asylum seekers. Under Australia’s “Operation Sovereign Borders” policy, asylum seekers who arrive by boat are not allowed to settle in the country, and many are detained in offshore processing centers. This policy, often described as inhumane by critics, has been a point of contention in Australia’s international human rights record.
Jian’s sharp rebuke was seen as a retaliatory response to Australia’s leadership in criticizing China’s human rights practices. The Chinese spokesperson’s accusations of systemic racism pointed to the struggles of Australia’s Indigenous communities, who continue to face socio-economic disadvantages, and the rising tide of anti-Asian sentiment that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite China’s strong response, Prime Minister Albanese made it clear that Australia would not back down from raising human rights concerns with Beijing. “We’ve raised the matter of human rights with China in a consistent and clear way,” he said, underscoring Australia’s commitment to advocating for global human rights.
Australia has aligned itself with other Western nations, particularly the United States, in pressuring China over its treatment of ethnic minorities and its authoritarian actions in Hong Kong. This has placed Australia in a delicate diplomatic position, as it seeks to balance its economic ties with China—its largest trading partner—with its strategic alliances and values-based foreign policy.
In recent years, Australia’s relationship with China has been strained by a series of trade disputes and diplomatic rows. Tensions escalated in 2020 when Australia called for an independent investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, a move that was met with a fierce backlash from Beijing. China subsequently imposed trade restrictions on Australian exports, including coal, wine, and barley, significantly impacting Australia’s economy.
However, there have been signs of a thaw in relations. Chinese Premier Qiang Li visited Australia in June 2023, and both countries agreed to “properly manage” their differences. While the visit was seen as a positive step toward restoring economic ties, the issue of human rights remains a significant point of contention.
The ongoing diplomatic friction between China and Australia is indicative of a broader geopolitical shift in the Asia-Pacific region. China’s growing military presence in the South China Sea, as well as its increasing influence over Pacific Island nations, has raised alarm in Canberra and among Australia’s Western allies.
Australia has responded by strengthening its defense ties with the United States, the United Kingdom, and other allies through initiatives like the AUKUS pact—a trilateral security partnership aimed at countering China’s influence in the region. Australia has also been an active participant in the Quad alliance, which includes the U.S., Japan, and India, and is seen as a counterbalance to China’s dominance in the Indo-Pacific.
Justin Bassi, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, believes that China’s sharp rebuke this week is a calculated move. “By limiting all but the most unavoidable criticisms of China to statements delivered by officials rather than ministers, Australia was offering Beijing a compromise,” Bassi said. “Instead of taking that as a win, China is biting back hard.”
Bassi’s comments suggest that China’s reaction is intended to send a clear message to Australia and its Western allies: China will not tolerate public criticism of its domestic affairs, even if the diplomatic fallout comes at the expense of improving economic ties.
As Australia continues to navigate its complex relationship with China, the question remains whether the two nations can find common ground on key issues like trade and regional security, while maintaining their deeply divergent views on human rights and governance.
For now, Australia is unlikely to soften its stance on human rights. Prime Minister Albanese’s comments suggest that Australia will continue to call out China on its treatment of Uyghurs, Tibetans, and other ethnic minorities, even as it seeks to manage the economic and diplomatic consequences of doing so.
The path forward for China-Australia relations will depend on both nations’ ability to strike a delicate balance between cooperation and confrontation. While economic ties may gradually improve, the underlying tensions over human rights and regional power dynamics are likely to persist, ensuring that the relationship remains fraught with challenges.
