Australia may see 'an upsurge' of Chinese students despite Beijing's warnings

 

Despite Beijing’s warnings, it is possible there will be a surge in Chinese students choosing to study in Australia in the coming months, according to The Australian’s Paul Kelly. In a sign of further worsening of diplomatic relations, The Chinese Education Ministry released a statement last week urging its students to “do a risk assessment” and strongly reconsider travelling to Australia to attend university. The statement said during the coronavirus pandemic “there were multiple discriminating incidents against Asians in Australia”. Foreign Minister Marise Payne disputed this and accused Beijing of peddling a “disinformation” campaign. The comments come as the federal government confirmed on Friday it will allow international students to return to Australia from July on a”pilot basis.” Chinese students make up a whopping 27 per cent of Australia’s international student population. Mr Kelly said despite Beijing’s “time honoured” campaign against China, Australia remains a very attractive destination for international students. “The fascinating thing, and I think there is a lot of awareness of this in China, Australia has done very well combating coronavirus,” he said. "Particularly compared to Britain and America who are rival student markets. You can’t rule out the possibility of a strong return of Chinese students."