Peter Dutton weighs in on journalist Cheng Lei banned from government press conference

Peter Dutton has addressed the “completely unacceptable” behaviour against journalist Cheng Lei, after Chinese officials blocked her from reporting.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton has slammed the behaviour of Chinese officials after they blocked a TV journalist twice from attending a press conference.

Sky News reporter Cheng Lei, who was imprisoned for three years in Beijing, was prevented from entering a press event at the Hyatt in Canberra where Chinese Premier Li Qiang was attending, despite being registered well in advance.

And just hours earlier, her view was obstructed by Chinese embassy staff who made an effort to block her during a signing ceremony.

Mr Dutton weighed in on the incident and revealed that the issue was discussed with Chinese leadership.

“We raised the issue with the Chinese premier and it was appropriate to do so because the behaviour against your colleague was completely unacceptable and we made that public at the time,” Mr Dutton told Sky News.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos JUNE 19, 2024: Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton during a joint press conference with Angus Taylor, Susan Ley, David Littleproud and Ted OÕBrien on Wednesday. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

Mr Dutton was also forced to address controversy from his own media team, after Cheng revealed that she was stopped from entering the media event from representatives on both sides of Australian politics.

However, he claimed that he was only allowed to have eight media positions in the room, which were allocated to photographers, adding there were “no journalists in the room otherwise”.

Cheng returned to Australia in October last year after being detained in China on opaque spying charges and has spoken unflinchingly of her bleak prison conditions.

“After seven months out I have developed sensitivities about how people react to me – if they recoil, or admire, especially Chinese people,” Cheng told Sky News.

“Even before the exchange it occurred to me the Chinese would get nervous about my presence.”

TV journalist Cheng Lei was blocked from entering a second major government press event.

The Hyatt incident marks the second time she has been prevented from reporting on the Chinese delegation.

Earlier, the Australian government voiced concern about the “ham-fisted” actions of two Chinese diplomats at a media event, tarnishing a highly touted visit in which Premier Li Qiang has sought to celebrate trade and friendship.

China’s second-most powerful man has posed in front of giant pandas, warmly toasted Australian wine, and highlighted the need to peacefully work through “differences” during his rare trip to Australia.

But the carefully choreographed tour briefly unravelled during a signing ceremony inside Australia’s parliament on Monday, when two Chinese diplomats appeared to shadow high-profile Cheng.

Australian journalist Cheng Lei (seated, centre R) observes a signing ceremony by China's Premier Li Qiang and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra in Canberra. Picture: AFP

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticised the “ham-fisted” behaviour, saying on Tuesday Australia had “followed up with the Chinese embassy to express our concern”.

“When you look at the footage, it was a pretty clumsy attempt, frankly, by a couple of people to stand in between where the cameras were and where Cheng Lei was sitting,” he told national broadcaster ABC.

“And Australian officials intervened, as they should have, to ask the Chinese officials who were there at the press conference to move.” Footage showed two Chinese diplomats hovering next to a seated Cheng, repeatedly ignoring requests to move from animated Australian officials.

Cheng said they “went to great lengths to block me from the cameras”. “And I’m guessing that’s to prevent me from saying something or doing something that they think would be a bad look,” she told Sky News Australia.

“But that itself is a bad look.”

Mr Albanese had told Mr Li in closed-door talks just hours earlier that “foreign interference wasn’t acceptable in Australia’s political system”.

The highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Australia since 2017, Mr Li’s visit shows the growing rapprochement between Beijing and Canberra after a years-long trade dispute.

“Of course, we all know that in the past few years, our bilateral relations also encountered some difficulties and twists and turns,” Li said before departing Australia on Tuesday afternoon.

“But thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, the bilateral relations have been put back on the right track.”

Asked about the Cheng Lei incident and Mr Albanese’s remarks on Tuesday, Beijing’s foreign ministry spokesman said he was “not aware of the specific situation you mentioned”.

“But I can tell you that as far as I know, the ninth China-Australia Annual Prime Ministers’ Meeting and other activities have been held smoothly and achieved positive results,” Lin Jian told a regular news briefing.

China's Premier Li Qiang inspects a hydrogen refuelling truck as Executive Chairman of Fortescue Andrew Forrest (C) looks on at the Fortescue Hazelmere research and development facility in Perth. Picture: AFP

Premier Li ended his visit with a tour of a Chinese-controlled lithium refiner in Western Australia, a sign of his country’s vast appetite for Australia’s critical minerals.

Australia extracts 52 per cent of the world’s lithium, the vast majority of it exported as ore to China for refining and use in batteries.

Despite the goodwill on show, both sides have acknowledged lingering “differences” – a nod to diplomatic jostling in the Pacific.

“We won’t always agree, and the points in which we disagree won’t simply disappear if we leave them in silence,” Mr Albanese said.

Australia accused China last month of “unsafe and unprofessional” conduct after one of its warplanes allegedly fired flares in the path of a naval helicopter over the Yellow Sea.

It also said late last year a Chinese destroyer blasted Australian navy divers with dangerous sonar pulses.

Chinese President Xi Jinping declined to attend Ukraine summit. Picture: Getty Images

NATO URGES ‘CONSEQUENCES’ FOR CHINA

It comes as China has found itself on the outer with countries across the globe with numerous significant incidents damaging their international relations in the past week.

The Asian superpower was notably absent from the Swiss-hosted Summit on Peace in Ukraine at the weekend.

Almost 100 nations, including Australia which was represented by cabinet minister Bill Shorten, accepted invitations to the summit but China declined in protest at Russia’s non-inclusion.

Following the summit, NATO’s chief warned that the Western alliance needs to impose costs on China over support for Russia, while saying that only a regular flow of weapons to Ukraine could end the war.

Secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said Chinese President Xi Jinping “has tried to create the impression that he is taking a back seat in this conflict, to avoid sanctions and keep trade flowing.”

NATO Secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg believes China should be held accountable for their involvement with Russia. Picture: AFP

“But the reality is that China is fuelling the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, and at the same time, it wants to maintain good relations with the West,” Mr Stoltenberg said.

“Beijing cannot have it both ways. At some point – and unless China changes course – allies need to impose a cost. There should be consequences.”

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Swiss Federal President Viola Amherd and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attend the peace summit. Picture: AFP

Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports this week that sources close to the matter say Mr Jinping told European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen that he believed the US was attempting to bait them into crossing a line with Taiwan.

PHILIPPINE SHIP AND CHINESE VESSEL COLLIDE

In another worrying incident, Philippine and Chinese vessels collided in the South China Sea on Monday, with both sides accusing the other of being to blame.

The body of water has seen an escalating number of confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as Beijing steps up efforts to push its claims to the disputed area.

The Philippine Coast Guard released this photograph of a similar incident that took place with China on June 7. Picture: AFP

These have often taken place during Philippine attempts to supply a garrison of Filipino troops on a grounded navy vessel, the Sierra Madre, which serves to assert Manila’s claims to the reef.

The Second Thomas Shoal lies about 200km from the western Philippine island of Palawan and more than 1000km from China’s nearest major landmass, Hainan island.

The Chinese coast guard said that a Philippine resupply ship in the area had “ignored many solemn warnings from the Chinese side”.

It “approached the … Chinese vessel in an unprofessional way, resulting in a collision”, Beijing said, accusing the ship of having “illegally broken into the sea near Ren’ai Reef”.

“The Chinese Coast Guard took control measures against the Philippine ship in accordance with the law,” it added.

This photo taken on March 5 shows a China Coast Guard vessel sailing in front of Philippines’ BRP Sindangan during a supply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed South China Sea. Picture: AFP

But the Philippine armed forces called China’s version of events “misleading”, decrying “the illegal presence and actions of Chinese vessels within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone”.

Manila’s national task force on the West Philippine Sea later said the Chinese vessels had “engaged in dangerous manoeuvres, including ramming and towing”.

“Their actions put at risk the lives of our personnel and damaged our boats,” it said.

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, meanwhile, vowed to defend his country’s sovereignty, saying China’s “dangerous and reckless behaviour in the West Philippine Sea shall be resisted”.

“It should now be clear to the international community that China’s actions are the true obstacles to peace and stability in the South China Sea,” he added.

A China Coast Guard ship (R) sailing past a Philippine fishing boat with volunteers from the civilian-led mission Atin Ito Coalition on board, in the disputed South China Sea on May 15. Picture: AFP

Beijing claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, brushing aside competing claims from several Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines and an international ruling that its stance has no legal basis.

It deploys coast guard and other boats to patrol the waters and has turned several reefs into militarised artificial islands.

It has in recent months stepped up moves against Philippine vessels in the area around Second Thomas Shoal.

This month, Manila accused Chinese boats of illegally seizing food and medicine air-dropped to the Philippine outpost in the area.

Philippine Coast Guard divers and marine scientists regularly survey parts of shoals in the waters of South China Sea.

It was the first time supplies had been seized, the military said. Chinese personnel on the boats later dumped the items in the water, Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad said.

It was not clear if they belonged to the Chinese coast guard or navy, the military said.

China in response insisted the Sierra Madre was illegally grounded on the reef and urged the Philippines to “stop making trouble”.

On Saturday, new Chinese coast guard rules took effect under which it can detain foreigners for alleged trespassing in the disputed sea.

The Philippines has accused the Chinese coast guard of “barbaric and inhumane behaviour” against its vessels, and President Ferdinand Marcos has called the new rules a “very worrisome” escalation.

China has defended its new coast guard rules. A foreign ministry spokesman said last month they were intended to “better uphold order at sea”.

Chinese coast guard vessels have used water cannon against Philippine boats multiple times, and there have been collisions that injured Philippine troops.