Foxy,

with all due respect, I will conduct and offer my views anyway I see fit, but I will take your views on board.

If people disagree with my comments, so be it

IMO, I have every right to research and write about the sentiment of Chinese Australians in these strange times

Dear Chris,

I also am entitled with all due respect to question your
views and express mine. That is an acceptable way to
conduct a debate or discussion.

In a democracy such as Australia, it is important that we
do not question people's integrity or loyalty based on
their political views or policy positions or try to
discredit opposing voices. Using these attacks avoids the
effort of engaging with arguments and evidence. And the
question of loyalty harms the Chinese communities in
Australia. It harms Chinese Australians as well as
Chinese International students.

Just as everyone else they are entitled to exercise their
democratic rights, including freedom of expression. You're
not the only one entitled to do that.

This is not to deny the existence of foreign interference.
If there are accusations of foreign interference then they
should be based on facts and actual evidence of covert,
coercive or corrupt behaviours. By themselves, political
views or policy positions should not be seen as evidence of
foreign interference.

It is in Australia's national interest that we continue to
contemplate China's role in the world and to debate how
Australia should respond to the complex challenges posed
by China.

But this is a conversation that needs to be conducted based on
facts and the merits of the argument not on insinuation of
intention.

We need to stop personal attacks. We need to promote
greater knowledge - policy makers, scholars, and the media
need to work together and disseminate China knowledge
and research. This would help understanding of the issues
and put news stories in context.

And there's more but this will suffice for now.

Foxy,

I wouldn't trust the Chinese as far as I could throw them.

They'll just pick and choose whatever side to be on at whatever particular time is necessary to save their own necks.

I get the impression that you have a vested interest in a pro-China outcome. You don't by chance have business interests with the Chinese? A matter of money talks - you can take a few pointers from Andrew Forrest on that.

Mr O,

It may be tempting to categorise people on their views
into being "pro-China"or "anti-China". But dividing people
into 2 camps is unhelpful. People with strong views on
China don't hold views just for the sake of supporting
or opposing the Chinese government. For example advocating
for more trade with China may be a pro-trade position, not
a pro-China one. People may well advocate for trade with
other countries as well, or they may believe that embargos
don't work as intended. It is possible to hold more than
one view at once.

Someone can advocate for trade with China and at the same
time condemn China for its human rights abuses.

It is wrong to question the integrity or the loyalty of
people based on their views. Ad hominem attacks that try
to tag people as "communists"or "pro China"are a means
to discredit and delegitimise opposing voices.
And using these attacks avoids the effort of engaging with
arguments and evidence.

You have consistently tried to insinuate things about
people who express views on China that disagree with yours.
This is an unacceptable way to conduct a debate or
discussion. It needs to stop.

If we were to make a list of countries in our region with a questionable human rights record, lets see who we can find. Some worse than others. In no particular order of nastyness.

Indonesia
Papua New Guinea
Malaysia
New Zealand
Singapore
Vietnam
Cambodia
Laos
Thailand
Myanmar
and of course China.
and don't forget Australia.
Have I forgotten anyone, most likely.

As a member of Amnesty International, they publish a list of hot spots of countries violating human rights. here is some from the list for 2017. In no particular order of 10 such countries, not the worse 10, not the best 10, just 10;

Venezuela
Yemen
China
United States
Australia
Turkey
Syria
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Myanmar

There are lots of others if you wanted to make a list of 100 that can be done.