Chinese state media has urged Scott Morrison to 'muzzle' a group of anti-China MPs known as the Wolverines to avoid 'irreversible damage'.

The group including Liberal MPs Andrew Hastie and Tim Wilson, Liberal senator James Paterson and Labor senator Kimberley Kitching is concerned about the growing power of China and often speaks out against the communist superpower. 

The members last year informally branded themselves the Wolverines, the name of an American high school group who fought off a Soviet invasion in the 1984 film Red Dawn. 

Small stickers with wolf claws have been spotted on their office windows in parliament.






Earlier this year Mr Hastie (left) and Kimberley Kitching (right) went for dinner with the US ambassador Arthur B Culvahouse (centre) in Canberra. The Global Times accused them of making him an 'honorary' member of the Wolverines

















Liberal MP Tim Wilson (left) and Liberal senator James Paterson (right) are said to be members of the Wolverines


Members of the group aim to push back against Chinese influence in Australia and tour Lệ Giang have been particularly vocal since China slapped tariffs on barley and suspended some meat imports after Canberra called for a coronavirus inquiry.

Over the weekend, the state-owned Global Times newspaper published an article saying the government should silence these anti-China politicians or face further economic punishment. 






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Liu Qing, director of the Department for Asia and the Pacific Study at the China Institute of International Studies, said: 'If Australia allows such negative powers to hurt China-Australia relations, irreversible damage will be caused to economic cooperation and trade with China, and would hammer Australia's interests amid the coronavirus fallout.'

He added: tour shangrila 'The Morrison government should release more positive signals to restore bilateral ties with China. If Australia can make more concrete efforts, the bilateral ties could be brought back on track.'






Hong Kong riot police fire tear gas as hundreds of protesters march along a downtown street during a pro-democracy protest against Beijing's national security legislation


The article said that if the Wolverines keep speaking out then 'Australia could find itself involved in a China-US 'Cold War' due to cheap tricks from second-rate politicians.'

Mr Hastie, a former solider turned MP for Canning, said he would not back down in the face of such threats. 

'Won't be intimidated and we won't be silenced,' he told Sky News on Sunday night.

He also said that backbenchers do not represent the government and are entitled to voice their opinions as part of the democratic process.

'Our public rhetoric is very low key, and it's not inflammatory at all,' he said.

The Global Times article notes that the government has not supported the Wolverines, but accuses Scott Morrison of 'indulging' them.






Chinese President Xi Jinping applauds during the closing ceremony of the third session of the 13th National People's Congress on 28 May


Last year Mr Paterson and Mr Hastie were both denied visas to China after speaking out against the mass internment of Muslims in western China.

Mr Wilson even went to Hong Kong to support pro-democracy protesters and has been vocal about the situation there since.

At the start of the year, the Wolverines issued a statement to The Times newspaper in London voicing anger that the UK government had allowed Huawei equipment to be part of the country's 5G network. 

It comes after Beijing became infuriated by Australia's calls for an independent inquiry into the origins of the virus, believing that it was a 'malicious' attempt to blame and 'stigmatize' China.






























Mr Morrison has called for a ban on wildlife wet markets. Pictured: Xihua Farmers' Market in Guangzhou