China warns students not to studying in Australia because of the rise in racist incidents targeting Asians in Australia

News24xx.com - China’s education ministry has warned Chinese students against going to Australia to study because of “multiple incidents of discrimination targeting those of Asian descent” amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ministry told students planning to study abroad in Australia to assess the risks, exercise caution, and make prudent choices, noting that Australian universities are set to reopen in July before the coronavirus pandemic is fully under control.

China’s ministry of culture and tourism also issued a similar warning to the country’s tourists, advising against travel to Australia because of a spike in “racial discrimination and violence against Asians” stemming from anger over the virus outbreak.

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While the pandemic has unquestionably fueled anti-Asian racism and xenophobia in Australia, China obviously has another reason for the moves which the ministries failed to mention.

Relations between the two countries have plummeted to a new low this year as Australia has been one of the nations leading the charge in calling for an independent inquiry to be carried out into the origins of the coronavirus.

Chinese officials have met this call with threats of boycotts. Back in May, China’s ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye, had this to say about Chinese students coming to Australia to study:

“People would think, why should we go to such a country that is not friendly to China? The parents of the students would… think whether this place which they’ve found is even hostile is the best place to send their kids.”

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It’s unclear how much credence Chinese parents and students will give these warnings. However, the situation has the chance to prove devastating for Australia’s already beleaguered university system.

More than 164,000 Chinese students were enrolled in Australian higher education last year, bringing in an estimated $20 billion in revenue.