Chinese international students have defended Australia as a “safe” destination for study, despite a travel warning issued by the Chinese Government urging students to reconsider.
Key points:
- International students say they felt safe in Australia despite warnings
- Educators say Chinese students would still apply to study at Australian universities
- Some Chinese parents have expressed concern about their children studying in Australia
In a statement published on Tuesday, China’s Ministry of Education cited both the risk of COVID-19 and “racist incidents targeting Asians” in Australia.
Anti-discrimination groups have reported a rise in anti-Asian racism during the pandemic, and media outlets, including the ABC, have covered cases where people of Asian appearance were targeted due to the coronavirus.
Chinese international student Mr Zheng, who did not want his first name used, told the ABC that Chinese people in Australia — including international students and Chinese-Australians — were having a hard time as the diplomatic tension between China and Australia escalated.
The 28-year-old, who is studying a masters degree in biomedicine at the University of Adelaide, said he felt safe in Australia over the last four years, and felt the warning was more of a Canberra-Beijing spat than a genuine concern for the safety of millions of students in China.
“The first warning [over the weekend] for travellers was not even necessary, and this one for students has gone too far,” Mr Zheng said.
Mr Zheng believed students in China should continue to be entitled to choose their destination to study abroad, and told the ABC that he still recommended Australia a good place for interested Chinese students.
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“I hope Chinese students who had an intention