Spy stories show Australia losing the plot

No doubt, a "China threat" storm is building in Australia. If unchecked, this ill wind, which has been blowing steadily in recent years and taken its toll on China-Australia ties, will gain enough force to shatter the foundations of bilateral interaction.

A report issued by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute on Monday suggests the Australian universities should be barred from partnering with more than 100 of their Chinese counterparts because they have close ties with the Chinese military.

The leading Australian think tank's astonishing claim is sheer nonsense.

In a similar effort to hype up the "China threat" theory, some Australian media outlets and politicians have created a carnival of Chinese spies in the past few days, seemingly delighting in the novelty of calling a Chinese fugitive fraudster a defecting national security agent and then accusing China of trying to install another agent in the Australian parliament, a man who, for them, conveniently died in mysterious circumstances, well before the allegations now being made against him.

It seems the claims of Chinese interference in Australia are going to become increasingly outlandish. China has repeatedly called for Australians to rid themselves of their Cold War mentality, but rather than doing so, they have indulged themselves in an espionage drama of their own devising.

It seems China's demonstrated tolerance and goodwill are being given the cold shoulder by some Australian media outlets and politicians who need a thrill in their lives, and are willing to give free rein to their paranoia when it comes to China-related issues.

Australia's continual unfounded accusations of China's interference in its affairs are slowly eroding the mutual trust between the two countries.

High-ranking Australian politicians have expressed a willingness to put bilateral ties on the right track on several occasions this year. Yet the current ill wind against China in Australia just makes people wonder how much sincerity they actually have in improving bilateral ties.

Hyping up a so-called China threat by creating a fantasy of Chinese espionage may be entertaining for some, but when such smear campaigns prove to be farces, it is those that have voiced them that will end up with egg on their faces.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman has called on the Australian media and politicians to respect the truth, have some professional morals, give up their ideological bias and stop doing things that are ridiculous and irresponsible. That's good advice for anyone. The Australian media outlets and politicians indulging their anti-China paranoia would certainly benefit by bearing it in mind.