Chinese media officials attempted to block Australian journalist Cheng Lei from appearing on camera during a press conference with the country’s second-most powerful leader – over eight months after the business anchor was freed from a Chinese prison.
Video footage appears to show embassy officials attempting to move in front of Ms Lei to block her from the view of cameras at a press conference in Parliament House on Monday.
Australian officials responded by physically wedging themselves to shield the Sky News presenter while China’s second-in-command Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke to reporters.
Ms Lei was incarcerated by Chinese authorities in 2020 after being accused of ‘illegally supplying state secrets overseas’, allegations that were unfounded.
She returned home to Melbourne last year after a three-year ordeal in prison and landed a job at Sky News.
Video footage appears to show embassy officials attempting to move in front of Australian journalist Cheng Lei to block her from the view of cameras
Australian officials responded by physically wedging themselves to shield the Sky News presenter while China ‘s second-in-command Premier Li Qiang and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke to reporters
Ms Lei said afterwards that the officials went to ‘great lengths’ to hide her from view.
‘They went to great lengths to block me from the cameras,’ she told Sky News.
Ms Lei said it was typical of Chinese officials to attempt to convey a ‘friendly facade’ during official visits.
‘Well, it’s typical right, with these events,’ she said.
‘Especially if they’re attaching importance to the friendly facade, that they’re carefully staging that voices of discord or the presence of someone who’s a bit controversial, not harm that.’
The Sky News anchor praised the response of Australian officials.
Tensions between rival demonstrators escalated on Monday morning ahead of the state visit of Premier Li Qiang in Canberra
‘Our officials behaved courteously, firmly, as they should have,’ she added.
Australian political figures were quick to condemn the actions.
‘This is inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour on Australian soil,’ Shadow Minister for Home Affairs James Paterson posted on X.
It comes just hours after pro- and anti-China protesters clashed on the lawn outside Parliament House ahead of Premier Qiang’s state visit – the first by a Chinese leader in seven years.
Peaceful supporters of Tibet, a predominantly Buddhist region in China’s far west, were swarmed by counter-protesters who unfurled huge Chinese and Australian flags to block them from sight.
Prime mInister Anthony Albanese shakes hands with China’s second most powerful leader, Li Qiang
Some protesters carried huge flags that conjoined the Chinese and Australian flag, as Tibetan sympathisers struggled to hold their banner aloft.
At one stage, a scuffle broke out as a man fell to the floor and brought down a raised speaker as a heavy police presence observed the stand-off.
One observer claimed that ‘people bearing Chinese flags who were bussed in and paid to “welcome” Chinese premier Li Qiang’.
More to come.
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