Chinese envoy in Sydney calls for lift of virus travel ban

China has increased pressure on Australia to lift the coronavirus travel ban, with its top Sydney-based diplomat calling the restrictions “excessive” and an “over-reaction”.

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China has increased pressure on Australia to lift the coronavirus travel ban, with its top Sydney-based diplomat calling the restrictions “excessive” and an “over-reaction”.

Consul General Gu Xiaojie also criticised Australia’s evacuation of citizens and permanent residents from the epicentre of the epidemic, Wuhan, saying it had not been the “best option”.

Consul General H.E. Gu Xiaojie speaking at the Chinese Consulate in Camperdown on Wednesday. Picture: Justin Lloyd

And he said Australia’s decision to upgrade its advice on visiting China to “do not travel” was “unnecessary”.

Mr Gu’s comments came as about 180 Australians stuck on the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan prepared to be evacuated to Darwin.

They are expected to arrive on Thursday. They will then spend two weeks quarantined in a nearby mining camp.

The 36 Australians on the ship with the virus will remain in Japan for treatment.

Globally, over 75,000 cases been reported; more than 2000 people have died.

In Australia, 15 cases have been confirmed of which eight have recovered, Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said on Wednesday. The other seven are in a stable condition.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said there had not been any new cases reported in Australia for nearly a fortnight.

The National Security Committee of Cabinet will meet on Thursday to discuss whether to extend Australia’s ban on non-residents travelling from China.

It was originally put in place for two weeks, then extended for a week until this Saturday. But it could be extended again. Mr Tudge and Mr Kelly would not comment.

Ahead of that meeting, Consul General Mr Gu said China hoped the ban would be lifted “or at least relaxed at an early stage”.

Consul General H.E. Gu Xiaojie speaking at the Chinese Consulate in Camperdown on Wednesday. Picture: Justin Lloyd

He began a Q&A session with journalists at China’s consulate in Sydney’s inner west by joking there was no reason to be concerned by his cough because he’s had it for 30 years. Then, over 45 minutes, he sought to ramp up pressure on Australia, arguing it had disregarded advice of the World Health Organisation in imposing the travel ban.

When The Daily Telegraph asked Mr Tudge about this, he said the ban decision was made “on the back of the best medical advice that we have’’.

“The advice we get is from the Chief Medical Officer of Australia,” Mr Tudge said.

Mr Gu said the ban was not conducive to strengthening the countries’ links and could have a long-term impact on Australia’s international education industry.

Earlier this week 10 universities said they faced losing up to $1.2 billion in first semester tuition fees from Chinese students.

“If things stay on like this, definitely it will affect how students think of their future or their study programs,” Mr Gu said.

The Level 4 “do not travel” advice was “unnecessary”, he said, before calling for an “objective, fair, clam and rational view of the … epidemic”.

“There were positive trends and signs,” he said.