WeChat Post Blames Australia Fires on "Lack of Patriotism"

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Source: SCMP

A viral blog that attacked Australias failure to stop the months-long bush fires and implied Chinese firefighters were braver and more patriotic has stirred a vigorous online debate.


The WeChat post contrasted the situation in Australia with Chinas largest-ever wildfire, which lasted just under a month in 1987, and quickly racked up more than 23 million views after it was published.


The piece attracted more than 100,000 likes and multiple comments praising the countrys firefighters, but was criticised by high-profile media commentators for insensitivity and using nationalism to generate cheap viral clicks.


Fridays article, titled If it werent for the Australian bush fires, I wouldve never known that China was so powerful 33 years ago, also suggested that Australian firefighters were lazy and unpatriotic for taking rest days, and claimed that human rights and democracy were responsible for the continuing fires.

Thats right, Australia has the worlds best firefighting technology. But putting out fires depends not only on technology, but also on how much you love the people who live on this land, wrote Yong Bo on the little-known WeChat blog Youth Courtyard.

In Australia, everyone thinks that these bush fires have nothing to do with themselves.



Because of so-called human rights and democracy, the Australian government and firefighters are taking holidays and celebrating Christmas while their country burns to a crisp and the fires kill everything in their path.

The blogger also criticised the New Years Eve fireworks display in Sydney and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrisons Christmas holiday to Hawaii while the devastating bush fires raged on.

Thousands of Australians have protested against what they see as the governments inadequate response to the countrys worst ever fires, which have so far killed 27 people, an estimated one billion animals and destroyed more than 10 million hectares of land in the past four months.


Meanwhile, on Weibo, overwhelming support has been given for the fires through hashtags:


  • #KoalasMightBeListedAsEndangeredSpecies;

  • #AustralianPossumNoseBurnedInFire;

  • #KoalaDrinksWaterWithPetDog.



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