It comes as two Australian journalists were rushed back from China to Sydney after officials in Beijing raised concerns over their safety. The ABC’s Bill Birtles and the Australian Financial Review’s Michael Smith were told by Australian officials to return home, but before they could Chinese security officers visited their homes wanting to talk regarding the Cheng Lei investigation.
Mr Downer told Sky News host Chris Kenny this is emblematic of a “huge change” in the way China is engaging foreign nations. “It has decided it’s going to be cutting itself off diplomatically from the rest of the world through behaving like this,” he said. “Let them – as time goes by – work out that this kind of diplomacy is just never going to advance China’s national interest.
The US and it’s allies have become increasingly isolated since WW2, for decades of invading and bombing countries, overthrowing democratically elected governments, supporting brutal dictatorships and breaking international law. China pales in comparison.