Australia's opportunist move likely to run into stone wall

Despite strong criticism from Australian Chinese and indignation from China, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull seems determined to play his new role as China-basher-in-chief. His enthusiasm for the part is casting a dark shadow on the formally bright prospects for bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

After making China a scapegoat for his country's intention to crack down on external interference in domestic politics last week, Turnbull said on Saturday both in English and Mandarin that "the Chinese people have stood up" and "the Australian people stand up", showing he intends to continue pandering to the anti-China bias of some in Australia.

Many may find it unfathomable why Turnbull and some other politicians and local media outlets are all of a sudden targeting China, their country's largest trading partner. After all, there is no issue left over by history or fundamental interest clash between the two countries.