Beijing rebukes Aussie lawmaker for warning of China threat

Canberra, Aug 8 (AP) An Australian government lawmaker has been rebuked by Beijing for warning that China threatens to diminish Australia's sovereignty and freedoms. Conservative Liberal Party lawmaker Andrew Hastie's column published on Thursday in The Age newspaper in which he drew parallels between China and Nazi Germany has been described in the media as the strongest condemnation of China by any member of Prime Minister Scott Morrison's coalition.

Hastie is a former Special Air Service officer who chairs an influential parliamentary intelligence and security committee. The Chinese Embassy in Canberra said in a statement they "strongly deplore" Hastie's commentary "which lays bare his Cold War mentality and ideological bias."

Morrison separated his government's policy from Hastie's views, saying that the lawmaker is not a member of his Cabinet. (AP) IND IND

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