The West Australian editorial “Australia Must Show Strength Against China” on May 8th, authored by Acting Editor-in-Chief Chris Dore, hypes up the so-called interception of Australia’s helicopters by Chinese military aircraft, and even calls for Australia to demonstrate strength against China through expulsion of diplomats, restriction of visas issued to Chinese students and tourists, and trade sanctions. The editorial’s stance is extreme and filled with Cold War mentality, running counter to the current trend of stabilization and improvement of China-Australia relations and the rapid development of pragmatic cooperation between China and Western Australia.

Regarding the so-called interception of Australia’s helicopters by Chinese military aircraft, the Australian side has consistently distorted the truth and shifted blame. The Chinese side has repeatedly stated its solemn position. What truly happened was, an Australian military aircraft, in the name of enforcing UN Security Council’s resolutions, deliberately flew within close range of China’s airspace in a provocative move, endangering Chinese maritime and airspace security. The Chinese troops sent a vocal warning to the Australian helicopter and conducted legitimate, reasonable, professional, and safe operations to expel it, which are fully in line with the international law and international practice.

At present, China-Australia relations are at a critical stage of improvement and development. A good China-Australia relations not only serves the common interests of the people of both countries but also meets the shared expectations of the countries in the region.

It is hoped that Acting Editor-in-Chief Chris Dore will respect the facts, cease to spread false narratives, and comment on China-Australia relations in an objective and responsible way, create a benign environment for the development of bilateral relations, play a promoting role in advancing pragmatic cooperation between China and West Australia, rather than shining in smearing and sensationalizing.