Australia’s Dangerous Drift: How the Current Government is Failing Liberty and Justice

In recent years, Australia stood out as one of the few democratic countries willing to challenge the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on global issues of consequence—particularly regarding human rights abuses, economic coercion, and the origins of COVID-19. However, under the current government, that momentum has not only slowed—it has reversed.

The present administration’s posture toward Beijing reflects a worrying blend of passivity, appeasement, and strategic naivety, couched in diplomatic language about “stability” and “economic cooperation.” Yet stability with authoritarian regimes is rarely stable. It often comes at the cost of truth, freedom, and accountability.

From Investigating Origins to Burying Responsibility

The prior government made history by calling for an independent international investigation into the origins of COVID-19. This was not merely about blaming China—it was about safeguarding the world from future pandemics by ensuring transparency and accountability.

Yet, the current government seems unwilling to uphold that legacy. Despite mounting evidence—including the U.S. Congress uncovering serious questions about the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and its potential links to the Chinese military (PLA)—Canberra has fallen silent.

Is this silence strategic? Or is it complicity?

In contrast to their predecessors, today’s officials appear ready to “move on”—even if that means ignoring evidence, abandoning calls for accountability, and potentially burying Australia’s own past commitments to justice. More disturbingly, certain government-linked voices suggest Australia might even "share the burden of responsibility" for the pandemic with China—a position that would place Australia on the wrong side of international law, and possibly even in the dock of a future tribunal.

Scientific Cooperation with Authoritarian Militaries

At the same time, troubling patterns in scientific collaboration have emerged. There is credible evidence that Australian scientists have co-authored research papers with institutions directly linked to the Chinese military, such as:

• The Third Military Medical University

• The Academy of Military Medical Sciences

• The People’s Liberation Army General Hospital (301 Hospital)

• And entities under the Joint Logistics Support Force, a unit personally reorganized and empowered by Xi Jinping.

These are not mere civilian hospitals. They are integral parts of China’s wartime logistics system, involved in everything from biomedicine to battlefield readiness. Any scientific cooperation with such institutions—especially in areas like virology, genetics, or epidemiology—raises serious ethical and strategic concerns.

Has the Australian government thoroughly assessed the risks of these partnerships? Or does it consider such collaboration politically acceptable under the banner of "engagement"?

Is the Government Preparing to Become a Co-Defendant with China?

If Australia continues on this path—silencing calls for accountability, maintaining ambiguous scientific ties to military-linked Chinese labs, and prioritizing trade over truth—then it must also prepare for the consequences.

In the event that a future international tribunal holds China accountable for pandemic-related misconduct or human rights violations, will Australia be able to stand apart as a voice for justice?

Or will it be seen as a silent partner, an enabler, or worse—a co-defendant?

Conclusion: Appeasement Is Not Diplomacy

Real diplomacy defends values as well as interests. The current Australian government must reconsider its trajectory before it undermines the country’s hard-won credibility on the world stage. Australia must not become the Western democracy that traded moral clarity for market access.

It is time to choose: complicity with tyranny or solidarity with truth.