Canberra continues to strain ties

Australia's New South Wales Department of Education scrapped the Confucius Institute program last week without consulting the Chinese side. The unilateral move will do a disservice to normal people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and deal a heavy blow to Australia's ties with China, which are already in bad shape.

The program, allowing the teaching of Mandarin in 13 public schools across Sydney and on the mid-north coast, was initiated in 2011 under inter-governmental agreements. It has long served as an important channel for Australians to learn the Chinese language as well as a bridge for cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Needless to say, for NSW residents who are still willing to learn Mandarin, the local government's decision was neither fair nor respectful. The Australian side's decision was not based on truth either.