Ideological bias keeping Australia mired in the past

Suspicion, mistrust and hostility are the messages that China continues to receive from Australia. Admittedly this could be a legacy of the poisonous atmosphere which was fostered by the previous administration of prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. But the longer this climate of prejudice persists, the more it will erode the basis for ties between the two countries.

The latest Australian accusations are once again targeted at Chinese telecommunications companies doing business in Australia and normal academic exchanges with Australian institutes.

Critical infrastructure such as electricity grids, water supplies and hospitals could not be adequately safeguarded if Chinese-owned telecommunications giants were involved in Australia's new 5G network, claimed Mike Burgess, the director-general of the Australian Signals Directorate in a speech in Canberra on Monday.