The ABC is poison for Australia-China relations

By running "City of Fear" on Feb 9 as part of its regular broadcast of the foreign affairs show, Foreign Correspondent, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation looked at Hong Kong politics following the introduction of the National Security Legislation. In this program, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and its lead China basher Bill Birtles, demonstrated a total absence of journalistic ethics, indicating it is no better than any of its competitors in the equally hysterical Murdoch press. This one-sided hit piece brought Australian media standards to a new low in an unabashed celebration of Hong Kong's rioters, even opening the documentary with a performance of the rioters' so-called "anthem" while dressed in their usual anonymizing black riot gear over visuals that celebrated the 2019 violence in Hong Kong.

Australia has spent the last several years pursuing a policy of stripping Australian citizenship from those dual citizens involved in terrorist activities in some other countries, most notably as part of the Islamic State movement in Syria and Iraq. In a past life, I myself worked for the Australian government's immigration department at a time where the government was ill-disposed to consider refugee applicants from Sri Lanka or Iran simply if they fit the profile of a possible terrorist, meaning they were single men of the appropriate age, even if there was no evidence they participated in any violent acts.

This brings me to Max Mok, who was heavily featured in the documentary. Mok openly admitted to participating in violent acts targeting pro-government supporters and their property during the Hong Kong riots of 2019. That the Australian government openly welcomes people like Mok is further demonstration that Australia is not a country driven by any solid principles. Instead, so-called liberal values are nothing but a cudgel by which it conducts its ongoing cold war. It shows that Australia is perfectly fine with terrorism as long as the terrorists for instance, don't have Arab names, say the right "liberal" things, and most importantly, hate China.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation dropped any sense of neutrality in journalism by further admitting that it helped Mok gain passage on one of the outgoing Australian government arranged flights from Hong Kong to Australia. In addition to its long legacy of Cold War-style propaganda against China, it can now add aiding and abetting terrorists to escape justice to its list of "achievements".

Australia has long hidden behind its so-called free press as a justification for allowing the widespread publication of slanderous material that denigrates China and celebrates its enemies. However, the ABC is state television whose charter commits it to "broadcasting programs that contribute to a sense of national identity" and "broadcasting programs of news, current affairs, entertainment and cultural enrichment that will…enable Australian citizens living or traveling outside Australia to obtain information about Australian affairs and Australian attitudes on world affairs". In the very legislation enabling its existence, the ABC acknowledges that it plays an active role in shaping the public consciousness on matters of national importance. As a broadcaster funded and owned by the Australian government, Australia is ultimately responsible for what the ABC puts into publication and what goes on air.

The Australia-China relationship is at an all-time low since diplomatic relations were established in 1972, a disastrous outcome for Australia as it seeks to recover its economy after the COVID-19 pandemic. With Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenburg stating that he wants a mutually beneficial relationship with China, surely a major step in the right direction would be to recognize the important role that media organizations play in shaping both public attitudes and international relations. If Australia really wants to reset its relationship with China, a solid starting point would be to take steps towards ensuring balanced reporting about Australia's most important trading partner, and furthermore, that it stops providing moral and material support, along with a safe haven, for terrorists who have attacked China's sovereignty.

Timothy Kerswell, PhD, is a research fellow at the Advanced Institute of Global and Contemporary China Studies, Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen).