Call to ban Chinese Communist Party from press club

NSW Liberal senator Jim Molan has written to the club asking it ‘revoke all future speaking invitations to representatives of the Chinese Communist regime’.

NSW Liberal senator Jim Molan. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

NSW Liberal senator Jim Molan has written to the National Press Club to ask it “revoke all future speaking invitations to representatives of the Chinese Communist regime” and lashed out at Beijing’s “evil, immoral and illegal expansionist agenda”.

Senator Molan published the letter on social media on Thursday, with National Press Club chief executive Maurice Reilly telling The Australian a speaking invitation had also been extended to a representative of Taiwan as well as the new US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy.

“We have invited the American ambassador and we have invited the Taiwanese representative,” Mr Reilly said. “I have seen Jim Molan’s letter and I welcome his right to free speech. And I was pleased to see the comment of your columnist Greg Sheridan who referred to the event (with the Chinese ambassador) … as one of the press gallery’s finest hours.

“I would probably note that a similar opportunity won’t be given to our ambassador in China and that’s what highlights one of the virtues of a liberal democracy. And the press gallery and the board of the National Press Club are committed to press freedom.”

Mr Reilly said the event provided an opportunity to advocate for the release of Australian journalist Cheng Lei who has been detained by authorities in China.

“At the end of the day, the board of the National Press Club will decide who speaks,” he said.

In his letter, Senator Molan criticised the NPC for the invitation to Chinese ambassador, Xiao Qian, who used the platform to threaten a re-education process for Taiwan’s 23 million people to give them a “correct understanding” of the motherland.

He also warned that Beijing was ready to use “all necessary measures” to restore the liberal democracy to the mainland. Mr Xiao also said China’s response to the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan – including the firing of ballistic missiles – was “legitimate and justified”.

Senator Molan wrote that the NPC was “an iconic institution and symbol of our free and democratic media” and that these values were “not consistent with the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party and its mouthpiece in Australia, the ambassador”.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the comments of the ambassador were “concerning” and that the national interest was “best served by peace and stability and prosperity in our region”.

“We will speak up for our national interest when that’s necessary and we will work co-operatively where that’s possible as well,” he said. “We want the relationship to be a stable one. We want the region to be stable, prosperous and peaceful.

Peter Dutton on Thursday said the Coalition supported the government’s position. The Opposition Leader said Australia should be “very frank’’ about the threat posed by China and that Australia should bolster its defences.

“I don’t support (Taiwanese) independence,” the Opposition Leader told ABC radio.

“I don’t support breaking away. I respect China’s position in relation to Taiwan, but I don’t want to see conflict.”

Mr Dutton also said that Australia should bolster its defences and warned that there would “be a price to pay if there was an attack on our country”.

“The second thing is we should have strong ties with our allies, (the) United States, (the) United Kingdom and Japan.

“It’s the actions of the Chinese Communist Party under President Xi and that’s what needs to be called out.

“Nobody should be surprised by China’s actions if there is an ­incursion or conflict.’’