Photo taken on June 23, 2020 shows the logo of Australian Strategic Policy Institute in an office building, in Canberra, Australia.(Xinhua)

Whether a foreign national is allowed to enter China is a matter entirely within China's sovereignty, and China opposes any attempt to smear and attack it under the guise of academic research, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said after China banned the entry of Clive Hamilton and Alexander Joske, two anti-China Australian scholars. 

China welcomes foreigners to study, work and live in China, objectively introducing China's national conditions and domestic and foreign policies, and enhancing mutual understanding between China and the outside world. At the same time, China is firmly opposed to any act of spreading false information under the guise of academic research, attacking China and endangering China's national security, Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at Thursday's routine media briefing. 

The current difficult situation in China-Australia relations is mainly due to Australia's repeated wrong actions on issues concerning China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It placed unreasonable restrictions on normal exchanges and cooperation between China and Australia and seriously undermined mutual trust, Wang said. 

China urged some Australians to discard the Cold War mentality and ideological bias, make an objective and rational judgment, stop smearing China and do more things that are conducive to enhancing mutual understanding and trust between the two countries, rather than the opposite, Wang said. 

Anti-China Australian scholar Clive Hamilton and analyst from think tank Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) Alexander Joske have been prohibited from entering China, under the country's Exit and Entry Administration Law, the Global Times learned from sources on Thursday.

The ban on the two anti-China Australian scholars came after Australian authorities revoked the visas of two Chinese scholars over alleged infiltration in early September. 

Global Times