Nil impact now but it might make Canada and the UK more appealing

by DIRK MULDER

 As reported by state-media paper Global Times, the Ministry of Education warns Chinese students to make a full risk assessment and consider carefully whether to go or return to Australia to study.

“A series of vicious attacks on Chinese students that have happened recently in multiple places in Australia have posed a serious threat to their personal safety,” the paper reported, adding, “the raging pandemic also makes international travel risky.”

Other than adding to the quota of denunciations of Australia by Chinese Government agencies and associates the story will have nil impact now. Students can’t travel to Australia and those already here will make up their own minds.

But this sort of coverage might encourage people starting to think about overseas study to look at countries where they are welcome now, notably open-borders Canada and the UK.

Dirk Mulder is CMM’s international education correspondent