Cheng Lei’s partner claims Chinese ambassador was misleading about family visits
China’s new representative in Canberra has been accused of being untruthful for declaring family visits were possible for the likes of Aussie mum Cheng Lei, with her partner disputing the the claims.
National
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The partner of detained Australian citizen Cheng Lei has disputed Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian’s claims that she has had access to family during her time in prison.
Speaking Wednesday at the National Press Club, Mr Xiao claimed that Australian citizens detained in China had their “basic rights” protected and that “it’s easy (for them) to get access to their relatives”.
However Cheng Lei’s partner, Nick Coyle, has disputed this claim, saying that she has only been allowed one 30 minute consular visit from Australian embassy officials per month, conducted via video link at the headquarters of China’s secretive Ministry of State Security, and no family visits.
“There have been no phone calls, no family visits at all,” Mr Coyle said.
“Only consular visits and visits from her Chinese lawyer (at the time of her trial).”
China also suspended monthly consular visits at the height of the coronavirus pandemic and tried Cheng Lei behind closed doors, spectacularly locking Australian ambassador to Beijing Graham Fletcher out of the brief court hearing where she was accused of sending state secrets overseas.
“This is deeply concerning, unsatisfactory and regrettable,” Mr Fletcher said at the time.
“We can have no confidence in the validity of a process which is conducted in secret.”
During his speech on Wednesday, Mr Xiao also made a number of bizarre claims including disputing human rights abuses of ethnic Uigyurs, shifting and suggesting that Taiwan’s citizens may one day face re-education camps.
“Once Taiwan is reunited, coming back to the motherland, there might be a process for the people in Taiwan to have a correct understanding of China about the motherland,” Mr Xiao said, claiming that the Taiwanese people were in favour of reunification despite a majority voting for pro-independence candidates in the two most recent elections.
The statement echoed recent comments by China’s ambassador to France who said that conquered Taiwanese citizens would be subject to “re-education.”
Mr Xiao also claimed that China had no plans to one day put a military base on the Solomon Islands.
However Sky News Australia reported that a letter they had obtained proved that a Chinese state owned company had been discussing such a project as far back as 2020.
The letter “demonstrates our intent to study the opportunity to develop Naval and infrastructure projects on leased land for the People’s Liberation Navy, for the Isobel Province with exclusive rights for 75 years,” according to the text reported by the network.
In the document, the company appears to offer inducements to the local government, saying that t”before the development of a project, China would assist the Solomon Islands, including infrastructure, education and sports.”
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