The Australian dollar fell by more than 1 per cent after the statement was published by the Chinese Ministry of Education late on Tuesday afternoon. In its first warning for students travelling to any other country since the outbreak began,it urged students to do a risk assessment and to be cautious in choosing to return to Australia in July.
"The spread of the new global COVID-19 outbreak has not been effectively controlled,and there are risks in international travel and open campuses,"the ministry said in a statement."During the epidemic,there were multiple discriminatory incidents against Asians in Australia."
Loading
Education Minister Dan Tehan said Australia respected international students,regardless of their race,religion,ethnicity or sexuality.
"Our success at flattening the curve means we are one of the safest countries in the world for international students to be based in right now,"he said.
The warning from Beijing is the second intervention from the Chinese government in the past week after it urged tourists to reconsider travelling to Australia due to"an alarming increase"in racial discrimination and violence during the pandemic.
The claim was rejected byTrade Minister Simon Birmingham on Sunday as having no "basis in fact". He argued Australia was"the most successful multicultural and migrant society in the world".