The Australian media is intentionally creating misdirection in the public opinion field, portraying Beijing as having a combative role in the region that is provoking a war against Canberra. The Global Times editorial raised "warn and strike," but there was a precondition - it was talking about the South China Sea issue, a matter of China's territorial integrity and national sovereignty, which Beijing will firmly safeguard. We believe the Chinese military won't fire the first shot. But China won't be shy to launch a counterattack resolutely if its sovereignty is infringed upon.

China's stance is firm in terms of the South China Sea. That is because a certain nation is trying to harm China's maritime sovereignty with the help of other major powers. Beijing values its ties with Canberra for the reason that a friendly relationship is favorable to both parties, not because China is begging for Canberra's favor. China is the last one to wish for turmoil on the doorstep. It has spelled out clearly that war is not the answer to the current disputes. Even Washington, the one who hyped up the case, knows where to stop and has no intention to actually engage in a war against China. Yet Canberra, an outsider in the case, seems to be short-tempered lately. In the end, it has almost turned itself into a match in the tinderbox of the South China Sea.