China issues safety alerts for citizens in Australia following multiple attacks in recent months

ADELAIDE: China has issued safety alerts for its citizens in Australia following recent incidents, which saw Chinese nationals being attacked in public spaces across the country.

“Chinese nationals and students, without provocation, were assaulted and attacked by local minors on the streets, at stations and in shopping malls,” read a statement released by the Chinese Consulate-General in Adelaide on Tuesday (Aug 12). 

Chinese citizens, especially students, were urged to “raise their safety awareness, closely monitor local news, stay informed about public security conditions in their area, avoid travelling alone at night or visiting high-crime neighbourhoods, inform friends or family of travel plans in advance, and, where possible, travel in groups”.

If verbally provoked by strangers, citizens were advised to avoid confrontation and try to leave quickly or seek help from passers-by and call the police immediately. 

ATTACKS ON CHINESE NATIONALS

Similar warnings have been issued over the past two weeks by Chinese consulates in other parts of Australia. 

On Monday, the Chinese consulate in Melbourne issued a statement urging authorities in the state of Tasmania to “thoroughly investigate the situation and severely punish the perpetrators” who attacked a Chinese student. 

The 33-year-old man had been allegedly assaulted by a group of teenagers at a shopping area in the city of Hobart, according to local news reports. 

Six local teenagers, four boys and two girls, aged between 14 and 15, were arrested and charged with assault, Tasmanian police said. 

“(We) urge Australia to severely punish the perpetrators and to take concrete measures to safeguard the personal safety of Chinese citizens,” the consulate said. 

Chinese diplomatic staff would travel to Tasmania to meet the victim, who had been hospitalised for head injuries, the consulate said.

He was in stable condition and would need to undergo reconstructive surgery and treatment for a head concussion, it added. 

The violence was shameful and “absolutely cannot be tolerated in the community”, said Felix Ellis, Tasmania’s Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management. 

More attacks have occurred. 

In a separate incident in Hobart, a Chinese couple visiting Australia was attacked by two local teenage girls in July.

The couple, identified as Yoe Xi and Yan Xiaojing, were returning to their hotel after dinner when they were attacked by the two teenagers near Franklin Square, according to ABC.

In June, the Chinese consulate in Brisbane warned of unprovoked attacks on Chinese citizens in the city and neighbouring Gold Coast by local youths in public areas. 

Speaking to the Global Times, a Chinese woman, identified as Chen, said she has noticed an increase in crimes committed by teenagers across Australia in recent years.
 
Chen, who has worked in Hobart for nearly six years, said she never ventures out alone for her personal safety, regardless of whether she is in a busy area. 

Chinese residents in local communities have formed safety groups in the wake of the incidents, to maintain contact with each other, Chen said. They have also started petitions calling for stronger safety measures and better protection. 

The Chinese consulate in Perth urged citizens to remain vigilant following reports of shooting and arson attacks in the city on Monday. 

Two incidents had taken place in areas with “a high concentration of Chinese residents”, the consulate said. 

Shootings were reported at several suburban Perth tobacco stores, prompting Australian police to investigate a potential “turf war”.

Businesses were shot at in neighbourhoods like Cannington and Ballajura, while a store in Huntingdale was the site of suspected arson, according to ABC News. 

OUTRAGE IN CHINA

The attacks on Chinese nationals in Australia have drawn huge interest in China, sparking anger and outrage over violence inflicted upon Chinese citizens. 

On Xiaohongshu, users shared public service announcements and tips on how to protect themselves in Australia. 

Writing on Xiaohongshu, a student named Li, studying at Macquarie University in Sydney, warned fellow Chinese students to avoid several places across other Australian cities, which included the State Library in Melbourne and the Parliament House in Adelaide, where a series of anti-immigration protests is set to take place later this month. 

In a post, Li shared the planned routes of the upcoming rallies. 

“Chinese international students must put their safety first, stay away from rallies and pay attention to developments,” said Li.