In an unprecedented move demonstrating international cooperation, Chinese authorities are dispatching a specialized working group to Australia to assist in the investigation of a disturbing 2024 assault case involving a Chinese national. The incident, which sparked nationwide outrage in Australia, occurred when a suspect allegedly poured boiling coffee from a thermos onto a nine-month-old infant during a family picnic in a Brisbane park.
The victim sustained severe burns to his face and limbs, requiring multiple skin graft surgeries following the August 2024 attack. The suspect, identified as a 33-year-old Chinese itinerant worker who had frequently traveled to Australia between 2019 and 2024, fled the country before police could apprehend him. He currently remains in China, a country with which Australia lacks an extradition treaty.
China’s Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, announced the deployment during a Thursday press conference in Canberra, emphasizing China’s serious approach to addressing the concern. “We are serious in taking the necessary actions,” Ambassador Qian stated, explaining that the team would collaborate with Australian officials to determine exactly what occurred and how both nations could coordinate follow-up actions.
Queensland Police and Australian Federal Police issued a joint statement acknowledging China’s ongoing cooperation despite jurisdictional challenges. The statement highlighted China’s extraterritorial jurisdiction capabilities, which allow for prosecution of Chinese citizens for conduct occurring outside China’s borders. Australian authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the suspect on charges of acts intending to cause grievous bodily harm—an offense carrying potential life imprisonment in Australia.
The case attracted significant public sympathy, with an online fundraiser for the victim’s medical treatment accumulating over $230,000. Three months post-attack, the infant’s parents reported that despite lingering scarring on his chin and shoulder, his recovery was progressing positively.