China Australia. Photo: VCG

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison lost his diplomatic manners on Monday by attacking Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian who condemned Australian soldiers' atrocity against Afghan civilians on his personal Twitter account.

Morrison claimed that his country felt offended so he shamelessly demanded an apology from China. This was ruthlessly rejected by China's Foreign Ministry and ridiculed by the Chinese people. Australia now has such a rude and arrogant government and a group of political and opinion elites who don't have a clear estimation of themselves.

Just before Morrison vented his fury, Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham gave the strongest indication yet that Canberra is considering taking its complaints toward China's trade imposition to the World Trade Organization (WTO). There are supporting voices in both the US and the UK, accusing China of coercing Australia through trade. 

China has never associated bilateral trade with politics between the two countries. China imposed tariffs on Australian barley for dumping and government subsidies, and imposed tariffs on Australian wine for the same reason. Moreover, pests have been found in Australian timber that threaten China's ecology, and Australian lobsters have been found to have high levels of cadmium. China didn't fabricate them. In terms of trade, China won't fear it if Australia brings the cases to the WTO.

China firmly maintains and advocates free trade. China and Australia are signatories to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Australia has carried out more than 100 anti-dumping and anti-subsidies investigations on Chinese products, while China only carried out a few against Australian products. Beijing does not fear going to the WTO with Canberra. China will acknowledge it if it loses, but the result will certainly be that all Australia's accusations will fall flat.

The fact is that as China-Australia relations remained warm in the past, Chinese society did not find fault with imports from Australia. But now, Canberra implements a wolf-style policy toward China and has become the most savage accomplice of US suppression of China. China, in response, needs to review its Australia policy and act according to the rules. 

Australia was the first among Western countries to make the so-called anti-foreign interference law targeting China. It was also the first to exclude Chinese tech giant Huawei from its 5G development. It came to the forefront whenever a Western country launched an anti-China crusade. China has never taken the initiative to provoke Australia. The two countries have no historical disputes. Australia's evil acts toward China have made Chinese society not only surprised, but also disgusted. Many Chinese people feel as if they have swallowed a fly when hearing about Australia.

Australia attacks China's human rights in a high-profile manner. The affairs in Xinjiang and Hong Kong can be interpreted differently based on different stances and values. Australian special forces murdered 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners. Killing innocent people is trampling on human rights no matter what. But Canberra has the nerve to put itself on the moral high ground of human rights. How arrogant and shameless the Morrison government is!

Chinese society has become relaxed about China-Australia ties. The Chinese people endorse a philosophy that does not intensify conflicts and cherishes peace. But Australia has been excluded from this philosophy by the Chinese people. Australia treats China's goodwill with evil. It is not worthy to argue with it. If it does not want to do business with China, so be it. Its politics, military and culture should stay far away from China - let's assume the two countries are not on the same planet.  

As a warhound of the US, Australia should restrain its arrogance. Particularly, its warships must not come to China's coastal areas to flex muscles, or else it will swallow the bitter pills.