BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday called on the international community to jointly denounce and oppose the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's (ASPI) anti-China rumors.
"We hope all sectors of the Australian society and the international community can tell right from wrong," spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily press briefing.
Wang made the remarks when asked to comment on Australian media report of ASPI's smearing of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and on media disclosure that ASPI receives funding from the Australian Defense Department and the U.S. State Department.
The ASPI has long been funded by U.S. defense and diplomatic organizations as well as arms manufacturers to fabricate various anti-China rumors, Wang said, citing Australian media reports.
The Australian, for example, published an article in August quoting a report by ASPI that 32 scholars from Australian universities joining China's Thousand Talents Plan provides an opportunity for the CPC to acquire technological inventions. These could then be used for military and intelligence purposes. The Australian Research Council subsequently required relevant universities to investigate these scholars but found nothing particular, according to Wang.
An Australian independent media source also revealed that the above report received up to 190,000 Australian dollars in funds from the U.S. State Department, Wang said.
"I think this is another example of ASPI serving the interests of its patrons as a tool to denigrate and contain China," Wang said, calling the ASPI, in essence, a rumor-making machine. Enditem
