A Chinese diplomat has called for an international investigation into sexual misconduct allegations within the Australian Parliament, in what is seen as a retaliatory response to Australia's push for an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19.
Li Yang, China's consul-general in Rio de Janeiro, posted on Twitter that the sexual crimes in the Australian parliament are 'shocking' and called for 'unrestricted international investigations' into the cases, linking them to women's human rights. The tweet included photos of protests outside Parliament House in Canberra.
The comments come amid ongoing scandals involving former attorney-general Christian Porter, who denies raping a 16-year-old in 1988, and ex-Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, who alleges she was raped by a colleague in the defence minister's office. The allegations have sparked nationwide protests against sexism and gendered violence.
Analysts suggest Li's tweet is a direct response to Prime Minister Scott Morrison's demands for a probe into the coronavirus outbreak. Critics have dismissed the Chinese call as hypocritical, given China's own record on transparency and human rights. Michael Shoebridge of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute noted that Beijing values 'opacity, repression and information control' and would not tolerate such an investigation itself.
Relations between Australia and China have deteriorated significantly since the pandemic began, with Beijing imposing sanctions on Australian exports after Morrison called for a Covid-19 origin inquiry. China has also faced criticism for its initial cover-up of the outbreak in Wuhan and its use of 'Wolf Warrior' diplomats to deflect blame.
