Chinese Premier’s Visit to Australia – Incident with Former Detained Journalist
During Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Australia on June 15-18, an incident involving the attendance of Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who was previously detained in Beijing for nearly three years, took place at the signing ceremony held in the Parliament House. Representatives from the Chinese Embassy went to great lengths to prevent Cheng Lei from appearing in the camera frame, sparking controversy. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his concerns directly to Li Qiang, stating that the behavior of Chinese officials in this regard is “unacceptable”.
Cheng Lei, who had been imprisoned in Beijing on charges related to “national security” before being released in October last year, revealed that Chinese officials likely did not want her to feature in news reports within China. This incident has become a focal point in Australian media coverage of Li Qiang’s visit. Albanese, in a radio interview on Tuesday, emphasized that he had raised the issue directly with Li Qiang.
“I raised this issue directly with the Premier, and told him that the attempt by officials to obstruct the camera view is clearly unacceptable in our view,” he told 6PR radio station, pointing out the crude actions of the Chinese Embassy officials, which ultimately backfired.
“This will only draw more attention to Cheng Lei being there,” he added. “She is an Australian journalist, and she has every right to be there and fully participate in the coverage.”
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong stressed the importance of press freedom in Australia in addressing the matter with Li Qiang, stating, “Both the Prime Minister and I understand the importance of supporting Cheng Lei, which is why we spent two years ensuring her return home.”
Australian officials intervened in the incident on Monday.
Cheng Lei, attending the event in her capacity as a host and journalist for Sky News Australia, was seated alongside Australian journalists in the seats designated for media representatives in the Parliament House.
During the signing of agreements, two Chinese Embassy officials positioned themselves in front of Cheng Lei, seemingly attempting to block her view from the cameras placed on the side of the room.
Australian officials politely requested the Chinese Embassy officials not to obstruct the journalists’ view. When these requests were declined, a colleague of an Australian journalist offered to swap seats with Cheng Lei, who then moved two seats to the right.
Subsequently, an Embassy official attempted to approach Cheng Lei, only to be intercepted by Australian officials.
The UK’s The Guardian reported that the Australian government had formally lodged a complaint with the Chinese Embassy, denouncing the “clumsy” attempts by Chinese officials to block Cheng Lei’s view within the Parliament House. Australian lawmakers condemned the behavior of the Embassy officials as “inappropriate” and “counterproductive”.
On Tuesday evening, the Australian government released a statement expressing “serious concerns” over the previous day’s “dangerous and illegal actions by Chinese (CCP) ships towards Filipino vessels in the South China Sea,” casting a shadow over the Chinese Premier’s visit.
“This escalation by China (CCP) is deeply concerning and destabilizing,” the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia stated in the release. “Such actions jeopardize peace and security in the region, threaten lives and livelihoods, and pose risks of miscalculation and escalation.”
Albanese confirmed in the interview on Tuesday that Australian officials had followed up with the Chinese Embassy to “express our concerns about this ‘clumsy’ incident”.
Speaking to ABC’s Perth Breakfast program, Albanese remarked, “To be honest, when you watch the footage of a few people standing between the camera and where Cheng Lei was seated, it’s a pretty clumsy attempt.”
He emphasized, “Australian journalists should not face any obstacles in their work, and we have made it clear to the Chinese (CCP) Embassy.”
Opposition leader Peter Dutton described the incident as “very regrettable” during his meeting with the Chinese Premier in Canberra on Monday evening.
Dutton stated, “I am pleased to hear that the government raised this issue with the Chinese Embassy because such behavior is entirely unacceptable in our free society.”