Andrew Hastie, Kimberley Kitching to co-chair new Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China

New alliance seeking to defend democratic values, uphold fair trade will be spearheaded by Liberal MP Andrew Hastie and Labor senator Kimberley Kitching.

Liberal MP Andrew Hastie. Picture: AAP

Former special forces captain Andrew Hastie and Labor Senator Kimberley Kitching will co-chair a new global parliamentary alliance urging governments to adopt a tougher stance against China.

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China has been established across seven national legislatures and the European parliament.

It is expected to expand further amid growing international concern over Beijing’s strategic posturing and human rights violations.

Mr Hastie, a Liberal backbencher who was banned from visiting China until he agreed to “repent”, said the alliance would “defend common values, the international rules based order, and universal human rights”.

“Sovereign nations must look after their own backyards, but also work together for the common good of free peoples,” he told The Australian.

Andrew Hastie (left) and Kimberley Kitching (right) meet with US Ambassador Arthur B. (A.B.) Culvahouse Jr. Picture: Supplied

“That’s the vision of IPAC: a strong network of like-minded legislators from democratic nations, protecting our shared values and interests”.

The body is expected to announce dozens of further members in the coming days.

Mr Hastie said it would aim to change policy in key areas including safeguarding the international rules based order, upholding human rights, promoting fair trade, strengthening security, and protecting national integrity.

Andrew Hastie. Picture: Gary Ramage

He said there was a belief within the alliance that China had not been held to the same standards as other countries.

Mr Hastie was barred by China from visiting the country on a parliamentary study tour last year with colleague Senator James Paterson.

The Chinese embassy in Canberra said the two Liberal MPs needed to “repent and redress their mistakes” before they would be allowed into the country.

Mr Hastie and Senator Kitching are both critics of the Chinese Communist Party, expressing concern at its human rights abuses in Xinjiang, its strategic expansionism, and its interference in Australian institutions.

Today we launch #IPAC#standtogether pic.twitter.com/bt19tb3bVB

— Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (@ipacglobal) June 4, 2020

They were among 20 Australian MPs, and nearly 200 politicians globally, to sign a statement in recent weeks condemning Beijing’s announcement of new national security laws for Hong Kong.

They are also members of a bipartisan parliamentary group, known informally as The Wolverines, which opposes Chinese Communist Party influence.

Liberal senator James Paterson with The Wolverines' logo.

The state-owned Global Times newspaper has branded it an “extreme anti-China group”, and warned of “countermeasures” against its members.

The global Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China has representatives in the United States congress, and the EU, United Kingdom, Canadian, German, Japanese, and Swedish parliaments.

In the US its co chairs are former presidential candidate Senator Marco Rubio, and ranking member of the Committee on Foreign Relations, Democrat Senator Robert Menendez.

The UK co-chairs are former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan-Smith, and Labour peer and acclaimed human rights barrister Baroness Helena Kennedy.