Alan Jones ridicules a Chinese newspaper after he was harshly criticised in an 'extraordinary outburst' that labelled him a 'lying racist'

  • Conservative commentator Alan Jones ridiculed Chinese newspaper editorial
  • The Global Times accused him of being racist and lying for criticising China 
  • It also bizarrely likened him to a Nazi for slamming World Health Organisation 
  • Jones had spoken against China's decision to reopen its unhygienic wet markets 
  • He also criticised Chinese businesses for shipping Australian medical supplies 

By Stephen Johnson For Daily Mail Australia

Published: | Updated:

Broadcaster Alan Jones has ridiculed a Chinese newspaper for accusing him of being a liar and a racist.

The Sydney radio 2GB and Sky News commentator has addressed the smear campaign against him by the Global Times, an English-language propaganda mouthpiece for the Communist Party. 

'I made comments last week about the appalling decision of China to reopen its wet markets - this led to an extraordinary outburst in the Chinese Global Times newspaper where several pages of the story were dedicated to accusing me of fabricating facts, lying and being a racist,' he told Sky News on Wednesday night.

'Good luck to them.' 

In a bizarre editorial, Jones was even likened to a Nazi for daring to criticise China and the World Health Organisation's response to COVID-19 - the world's worst pandemic in 100 years that is also sparking the most severe global downturn since the Great Depression.

The Global Times published an editorial on April 4 under the headline: 'Australian radio host racist, fans hatred with lies about China.'

The column by Chen Hong, the director of Australian Studies Centre at the East China Normal University, accused Jones of broadcasting 'twisted facts' after he singled out two Chinese companies - Greenland and Risland - for exporting surgical masks and hand sanitiser from Australia to China. 

The column also likened Jones' reports to the tactics employed by Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister. 

'Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth', is a law of propaganda often attributed to the Nazi Joseph Goebbels,' it said.

'Jones apparently intended to do so by virtue of mass media's influence.'

The newspaper column also took exception to Jones for criticising Chinese wet markets, even though scientists have linked COVID-19 with Wuhan's Huanan Seafood Market, which had live animals slaughtered next to meat.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has also criticised this practice. 

'He also groundlessly accused China of resuming wet markets without additional rules and regulations, saying 'fruit bats are still on the menu',' the Global Times said.

The Global Times published an editorial on April 4 under the headline: 'Australian radio host racist, fans hatred with lies about China'

The Global Times published an editorial on April 4 under the headline: 'Australian radio host racist, fans hatred with lies about China'

A wet market in Shanghai. Alan Jones was criticised by Chinese media for slamming the government's decision to reopen such markets in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus

A wet market in Shanghai. Alan Jones was criticised by Chinese media for slamming the government's decision to reopen such markets in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus

The Chinese newspaper opinion piece didn't stop there, getting upset with Jones for daring to criticise WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for publicly backing China's secretive response to the coronavirus crisis.

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 6,449

New South Wales: 2,886

Victoria: 1,299

Queensland: 999

South Australia: 433

Western Australia: 532

Australian Capital Territory: 103

Tasmania: 169

Northern Territory: 28

TOTAL CASES:  6,449

RECOVERED: 3,624

DEAD: 63

'He went on to smear the cooperation between WHO and China in the pandemic fight,' it said.

'How dare you, Alan Jones, with your ignorance, wickedness and shamelessness?'

The Global Times also had a go at Jones, a former Liberal Party candidate, for being politically conservative.

'The right-wing radio shock jock cares less about how to effectively contain COVID-19 and more about pointing an accusing finger at China,' it said.

The unhinged editorial also ridiculed Australians for eating kangaroo meat, even though it is a niche product that hasn't been linked to any major health risks.

'In a country where kangaroo meats can be found in supermarkets, how can Jones tell the tall tale without shame that Chinese are now eating bats everywhere?,' it said. 'This is the most abhorrent lie based on blatant racism.'

Jones, in one of his broadcasts, had cited a Nine newspapers article which alleged company director Kuang Yuanping, a former People's Liberation Army officer, sold tens of thousands of medical protective overalls in late February to Hong Kong-based property developer Risland for $2.2 million. Risland then flew the goods to China.

Broadcaster Alan Jones has ridiculed a Chinese newspaper for accusing him of being a liar and a racist. The Sydney radio 2GB and Sky News commentator has addressed the campaign against him by the Global Times, an English-language mouthpiece for the Communist Party

Broadcaster Alan Jones has ridiculed a Chinese newspaper for accusing him of being a liar and a racist. The Sydney radio 2GB and Sky News commentator has addressed the campaign against him by the Global Times, an English-language mouthpiece for the Communist Party

The Chinese newspaper opinion piece didn't stop there, getting upset with Jones for daring the criticise the World Health Organisation's early endorsement in January of China's secretive response to the coronavirus crisis, which has so far killed 63 people in Australia

The Chinese newspaper opinion piece didn't stop there, getting upset with Jones for daring the criticise the World Health Organisation's early endorsement in January of China's secretive response to the coronavirus crisis, which has so far killed 63 people in Australia 

The Chinese newspaper's unhinged rant against Alan Jones - in full

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison made an appearance on a Sydney radio station Friday morning accepting an interview with host Alan Jones. 

Although Australia is being increasingly ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 5,300 confirmed cases as of press time, the right-wing radio shock jock cares less about how to effectively contain COVID-19 and more about pointing an accusing finger at China.

Jones twisted facts, blaming two Chinese companies - Greenland Australia and Risland Australia - which purchased medical supplies such as surgical masks and hand sanitiser from Australia early in February, for Australia's current medical supplies shortages. 

He also groundlessly accused China of resuming wet markets without additional rules and regulations, saying 'fruit bats are still on the menu.' He went on to smear the cooperation between WHO and China in the pandemic fight. How dare you, Alan Jones, with your ignorance, wickedness and shamelessness?

When China was severely hit by the coronavirus epidemic in late January and early February and patients, medical workers and citizens in Central China's Hubei Province were in dire need of medical supplies including face masks and protective outfits, foreign governments, enterprises and people, including those from Australia, offered a timely helping hand, sending emergency relief assistance to China's epidemic-ravaged regions. The Chinese people will remember the goodwill forever.

Since the beginning of March, in the face of rising number of infections caused by inadequate epidemic prevention and control, panic buying was a constant scene in supermarkets and pharmacies in many Australian cities and towns. Because of a lack of scientific and rational guidance, Australian residents stampeded supermarkets and pharmacies to buy commodities such as food, masks and sanitizers. Even toilet paper had been incredibly constantly out of stock. This is the real cause to Australia's current shortage of medical supplies.

Jones deliberately dislocated the timing of Australian donations to China which took place before the pandemic began spreading in Australia with the ongoing medical supplies shortage that the country is grappling with. Jones misled the Australian public with an illusion that Chinese owned companies such as Greenland Australia and Risland Australia are maliciously buying medical materials that Australia urgently needs. He was contriving to incite the Australian public's hostility against China. Is there anything more sinister than such dirty tricks? In order to smear China, Jones has lost the basic professional ethics and morality as a media personality.

Worse, Jones went on to fabricate facts, claiming wet markets have restarted in China without additional rules and regulations. Based on what did Jones make this inference? In a country where kangaroo meats can be found in supermarkets, how can Jones tell the tall tale without shame that Chinese are now eating bats everywhere? This is the most abhorrent lie based on blatant racism.

Jones is a maverick media figure in Australia. He often delivered startling remarks and fabricated facts to garner attention. Of course, he only represents a small number of people in Australia and other Western countries. But unfortunately, it's those minority that have dominated the discourse of mainstream media. They take advantage of their position as key opinion leaders to manipulate public opinion, trying to incite confrontation between the Chinese and Australian people and mislead government decision-making.

Jones also told lies about China's relations with the WHO. 'Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth', is a law of propaganda often attributed to the Nazi Joseph Goebbels. Jones apparently intended to do so by virtue of mass media's influence.

China and people across the world have suffered great losses in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, a global common enemy. China is actively cooperating with the international community, striving to vanquish the virus. At a time when global solidarity is most needed, Jones and his likes are making up lies to deceive people and manipulate government's decision-making for their own vested interests. Truth will finally prevail. China has made enormous sacrifices to fight the coronavirus. Our fight is for all the humanity and our victory will be the common victory of mankind.

Jones' tricks are doomed to fail. Prime Minister Morrison didn't respond in tune with Jones during the interview. It's expected that Australian decision-makers could act rationally based on facts. At a time full of uncertainties, rationality is required to improve China-Australia relations.

Source: Global Times opinion piece by Chen Hong, published on April 4, 2020 

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Chinese Global Times newspaper calls Alan Jones a lying racist over China wet market criticism

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