Wang Liqiang, a self-claimed high-level Chinese spy who defected to Australia, seems to have been having trouble backing up his story. According to the latest news, Australian security agencies concluded that Wang might be at most "a bit player on the fringes of the espionage community." Some Australian media outlets even described this case as a "spy farce."

Over a week ago, Wang shocked Australian and Western public opinion. Wang claimed that he had "infiltrated the student movement in Hong Kong" and "interfered with elections in Taiwan." His words seemed customized for the current political situations. Many political forces felt as if they had hit the jackpot, and a whirlwind blew up.

How could a 27-year-old participate in a series of espionage activities? It sounded like Wang was a liar. China soon released a courtroom video of Wang's conviction for fraud in 2016. Many of his misdeeds were exposed. It seems that the farce with which Wang showed his loyalty to Australia's anti-China forces and the latter utilized him to fuel anti-China opinions could not continue anymore.

This case revealed the lack of morality of quite a few Australians in the intelligence community and press circles. They should not have been fooled by Wang. 

However, they fell into the trap willingly, taking advantage of Wang regardless of the consequences.

Wang's case helped the Hong Kong opposition win the district council elections. And Tsai Ing-wen's authority hyped this case and detained the alleged leaders of a so-called Chinese mainland intelligence agency based in Hong Kong as claimed by Wang. However, the case collapsed promptly.

But the Chinese people should by no means believe that the Australian intelligence community and media outlets will be ashamed and restrain themselves from discrediting China. Their mentality has already been extremely ideological. In terms of throwing mud at China, they only focus on the effects it can produce, rather than whether it is right or wrong. No matter what setbacks they have suffered, they can always be forgiven and continue their smears against China fearlessly.

Recent accusations made by Western public opinion against China, which were over-exaggerated and full of loopholes, as well as their overt double standards, have shocked the Chinese people over and over again. 

Reform and opening-up has offered Chinese more access to Western public opinion. We once believed in the "objectivity" and "fairness" of Western public opinion institutions, but gradually, Chinese people have realized that they are far from perfect as we used to believe. In the past two years, we have witnessed all kinds of unscrupulous and ugly performances.

Some Western media outlets have established standardized production lines of China reports, which prioritize value and standpoint.

For a long time to come, China will be unable to change this paranoia of Western public opinion. But fortunately, the Chinese have clearly observed the Western media's serious prejudice and hostility toward China. The previous positive image of the Western media among the Chinese public has collapsed. It is hard for them to affect Chinese society as they did in the past. They are marginalizing themselves in Chinese society.

China needs to make efforts to dismantle the influence of the West's China-related reports worldwide. The work will be tough, but worthwhile to pursue. Only by gradually achieving this task can China's soft power make a necessary breakthrough.