Chinese officials have been accused of blocking cameras from filmingformerly imprisoned journalist Cheng Lei from the view of cameras at an event between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra.

Canberra

Chinese officials were seen blocking news cameras from filming Australian journalist Cheng Lei during an event in Canberra, which included Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Cheng Lei was recently freed after spending three years imprisoned in Beijing. Australian officials intervened to prevent the Chinese delegation from obscuring the cameras.

The incident occurred during a visit meant to showcase improved relations between Canberra and Beijing. Despite the attempt to minimize attention on Cheng Lei, the actions of the Chinese delegation drew widespread criticism, described as heavy-handed and intimidating. The Prime Minister later addressed several issues, including the detention of an Australian academic and concerns over foreign interference and military confrontations.

Protests took place outside the event venue, with demonstrators clashing over China's human rights record. Inside, discussions between the Australian and Chinese leaders covered various topics, acknowledging both agreements and ongoing differences. The leaders have since traveled to Perth to focus on discussions about resources and critical minerals, though they took separate planes to Western Australia.



Chinese delegation blocks cameras during visit

Well, the Prime Minister and Premier Li Qiang were putting on a very public display of improved relations, but there was one angle the Chinese delegation didn't want captured, physically trying to block the news cameras from getting a shot of Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who was recently freed after spending three years in a Beijing prison. The Australian officials then had to step in and try to block them from blocking the cameras. If the Chinese delegation was trying not to have any attention on Cheng Lei today, it totally backfired. It's incredibly hefty handed, coercive, bullying and intimidating conduct from Chinese delegation officials. The fact that they think they can come here to our country and in our Parliament House behave this way towards our journalists is totally and completely unacceptable. And Chloe, is this going to be an issue between the two governments? No, I don't think it'll be a big problem in the scheme of things. Today's visit was really significant in showing how far the Canberra-Beijing relationship has gone towards stabilising, but not everyone was welcoming. There were many protesters out the front rallying against China's human rights record and they were clashing with the pro-Beijing supporters who were out there as well. The Chinese had to break them up. Inside, the Prime Minister says he raised issues around the detention of an Australian academic, foreign interference concerns and also military confrontations. You know how Australian defence personnel were targeted by sonar pulses and flares. On some issues there's immediate agreement, on some issues there is not. We have differences of opinion, but it's important that we be able to express those. The Prime Minister and Premier Lee are now in Perth where the focus will be on resources and critical minerals. They did take separate planes to WA.

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