China’s soft power has ‘collapsed globally’ due to ‘anger and hysteria’: Expert
Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Michael Shoebridge has said he feels China’s reaction to the cancelling of the dangerous Belt and Road agreement in a “wolf warrior fashion” will end up being a large “own goal” for Beijing.
The controversial Belt and Road Initiative agreement between Beijing and the Andrews government in Victoria was recently cancelled by the foreign affairs minister using the new foreign relations bill powers, media reports said.
Shoebridge told Sky News the Chinese Ambassador to Australia, Cheng Jingye, has already begun behaving in “wolf warrior fashion” by getting “highly incensed and critical”.
“Threatening more economic coercion against Australia for us making a decision to reduce their ability to coerce us; all that’s going to do is highlight the huge risks in deep economic engagement with China,” he said.
“China’s reaction can be a large own goal for Beijing. Beijing’s anger and hysteria does nothing but damage their interests," he told the news channel.
“The contrast between Australian calmness and Beijing hysteria is actually one of the reasons further coercion of Australia is affecting China’s soft power globally. We’ve seen it collapse over 2020 and this year," he said.
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