The Chinese media's response to the recent Fairfax Media-Four Corners report on Beijing's influence in Australia has been unequivocal – they argue the report was biased, baseless, and "not even worth refuting".

China's reporting frames its objections to the investigation squarely within certain widely accepted and deeply held world views that underpin how many Chinese people understand their country and its international relationships. The result is a further entrenchment of feelings of persecution, isolation, and aggrieved self-righteousness. Mainstream Chinese perceptions of Australia are also negatively affected.

Chinese coverage of the investigation has included several stories in Chinese for the domestic audience, and one in English, "China slams Australian TV program". The Chinese-language reporting notes that Beijing respects Australia, and has no reason to interfere in Australian domestic affairs. Indeed, this piece argues that interfering in another country's affairs is "a Western thing", and China has no intention of doing the same.

Chinese President Xi Jinping. Chinese media engage with a belief that the country is reasserting its traditional place on the global stage. Lintao Zhang

Several reports note Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying's comments that China's approach to the bilateral relationship is one of "mutual respect, equality, and benefits". Ms Hua also calls on Australian media to "discard its ideological bias". Elsewhere, a poll has been set up that asks whether respondents agree that the program represents a "threatening and avaricious" logic – so far out of 953 respondents, 92 per cent agree.

The angles taken by Chinese media fit into a powerful victimisation narrative in which most Chinese understand their country to be in the process of pulling itself out of more than 100 years of humiliation at the hands of foreign powers. The media arguments also play into the strongly held belief that cultural characteristics are unchanging, both for China and others. In this case, China is portrayed as inherently peaceful and unthreatening, and Australia is painted as untrustworthy and opportunistic. Australia is seen as wanting to limit China's "natural rejuvenation", while at the same time happily getting rich, thanks to Chinese trade and investment. I came across this opinion of Australia many times in a recent visit to China, across a wide range of social groups.