Senior diplomat labels Australians who criticise China ‘scumbags’, embassy omits insult in English translation

A senior Chinese diplomat referred to Australians who criticise China as “scumbags” in a speech to business leaders last week – but the insult was quietly omitted from the English-language translation. Speaking at a Lunar New Year dinner in Canberra last Thursday night, China’s Deputy Head of Mission Wang Xining defended the country’s handling of COVID-19 and hit out at media organisations in particular, saying there were “some people in Australia who choose to make enemies to sustain a living” and that they had “brainwashed” the public with “negative portraits of China”.

“History will prove that it is wise and visionary to be China’s friends, and your children and grandchildren would be proud of you to be China’s friends and they will benefit from the relationship with China,” Mr Wang said, according to a transcript of the speech posted on the Chinese Embassy website.

“Those who deliberately vilify China and sabotage the friendship between our two countries and do damage to our long-term friendship and benefits out of their sectoral or selfish interest will be (cast) aside in history. Their children will be ashamed of mentioning their names in the history.”

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