Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he has told Chinese Premier Li Qiang that attempts by two Chinese officials to block cameras from filming a journalist at an event Monday was “unacceptable.”
The journalist, Cheng Lei, was previously jailed by Beijing.
“Frankly, that was unacceptable and not appropriate behavior,” Albanese said Tuesday. The remarks came just as China’s premier was wrapping up his first visit to Australia in seven years.
“When you look at the footage, it was a pretty clumsy attempt … by a couple of people to stand in between where the cameras were and where Cheng Lei was sitting,” he said. “That was rude what occurred and, frankly, just counterproductive from the Chinese side and just drew attention to the fact that Cheng Lei was there."
Cheng said Monday that Chinese officials attempted to “block” her at a press conference in Canberra in what appeared to be a bid to prevent critical coverage of Premier Li Qiang’s visit to the Australian capital.
“They went to great lengths to block me from the cameras and to flank me,” Cheng told Sky News Australia, where she now works.
“And I’m guessing that’s to prevent me from saying something or doing something that they think would be a bad look,” Cheng said.
Cheng previously worked as an anchor for the Chinese state broadcaster CGTN until she was detained in Beijing in August 2020, sparking widespread condemnation from international press freedom groups. She was later convicted of espionage in a closed-door trial.
After Cheng was released to Australia in October 2023, she revealed that she was jailed for the minor infraction of breaking an embargo by just a few minutes.
Video footage posted on social media shows two people standing next to Cheng at the event in between her seat and a line of cameras. Australian officials later moved Cheng to a new seat.
Australian media reported that the two individuals were Chinese diplomats, which VOA was unable to immediately verify.
On Monday, Albanese said he didn’t witness the incident, but he added that reporters should “be allowed to participate fully” inside the Australian parliament.
On Tuesday, he said Australian officials “followed up with the Chinese embassy to express our concern."
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also expressed concerned with the incident, telling ABC radio, “Freedom of the press is very important to Australia.”
She said, “The prime minister and I understand the importance of standing up for Cheng Lei; that's why we worked for two years to secure her return home.”
China’s embassy in Canberra did not immediately reply to VOA’s email requesting comment.
