Melbourne, August 08: After India, it’s now China that has raised concerns about the safety and security of its students in Australia following a vicious road rage attack on four students on the Gold Coast.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has warned its students in Australia to be “cautious about their security,” The Australian reported on Saturday.
In the third such warning, Beijing said the assault late last month on one of the young students was so severe he suffered a broken cheekbone, the report said.
Three young Gold Coast men are facing four counts each of assault occasioning bodily harm after the latest attack.
Five men are alleged to have pulled up to the vehicle and assaulted the Chinese students, it said.
The 17-year-old male driver, from Varsity Lakes, has also been charged with drink-driving.
The concern from China follows protests in India, Melbourne and Sydney prompted by perceptions of racist violence against Indians in Australia.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the Australian government took its responsibility for providing a safe destination for overseas students very seriously, but the Chinese ministry warning was in line with usual practice.
A Monash University expert on overseas students, Chris Nyland, said a similar Chinese government warning about student safety, racism concerns and inadequate facilities in New Zealand had led to the collapse of the Chinese portion of that market in 2003.
“It is an issue that should be taken very seriously,” he said.
Nyland, who has called for a US-style mandatory crime reporting system for Australian campuses, said much more had to be done to ensure the safety of overseas students.
Australian government officials should meet the Chinese “and map out a concrete programme of reform that the Chinese would like us to consider,” he said.
–Agencies