Dan Andrews super-fan makes staggering claim about Australians wanting to know about his China trip

A Dan Andrews super-fan has ridiculed the media for attempting to hold him to account over his secretive trip to China. 

The Victorian premier is in Beijing where he is attending a number of meetings with Communist Party officials.

But there has been uproar at home over the fact he refused to allow any Australian journalists to accompany him, despite being the first Australian leader to visit since the coronavirus pandemic began in the city of Wuhan and punitive tariffs were put on our goods.

Vcitorian Premier Dan Andrews at Melbourne airport before he travelled to China – without any Australian journalists to hold him to account 

A super-fan, who calls herself 'Dan Fan Girl', has leapt to his defence and mocked the media's 'hilarious' interest in the story

A super-fan, who calls herself ‘Dan Fan Girl’, has leapt to his defence and mocked the media’s ‘hilarious’ interest in the story

Last night, criticism focused on Mr Andrews’ vague six-line itinerary of his daily meetings with Chinese politicians, with some suggesting it was a ploy to ‘pretend the trip is boring and insignificant’. 

Now a Dan Andrews tragic has leapt to his defence, claiming the ‘way the media are behaving on this is hilarious’.

‘Did they want to know what time he goes to the toilet, has a shower, eats, calls his family, takes selfies with his “commie mates”?’, they wrote.

The Twitter user, who goes by the name of ‘Dan Fan Girl’ and claims ‘Dan is my idol’, describes herself as a musician and hospital worker. 

She regularly posts in support of the embattled premier on Twitter and on her TikTok page where she has uploaded dozens of videos praising Mr Andrews.

Responding to a news report that mentioned comments Mr Andrews had made regarding the ‘influence’ China had on Victoria, she mockingly suggested that ‘the secret China influence is Dan cooks very good Chinese food’.

Daily Mail Australia has tried to contact ‘Dan Fan Girl’ for comment.

Chinese state-owned TV station aired a 2017 interview with Victorian Premier on Monday evening in which he praised the state's relationship with China

Chinese state-owned TV station aired a 2017 interview with Victorian Premier on Monday evening in which he praised the state’s relationship with China

Daniel Andrews (pictured in Tiananmen Square in 2015) has not invited any Australian media on his trip to Beijing this week

Daniel Andrews (pictured in Tiananmen Square in 2015) has not invited any Australian media on his trip to Beijing this week

The account appears to be a single supporting voice in a sea of criticism over Mr Andrews’ China visit. 

‘He’ll have some expalining to do when he gets back beacuse he will look like he’s being manipulated,’ Michael Shoebridge, from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told 9News Melbourne. 

Peter Greste, chair and spokesperson of the Alliance for Journalists’ Freedom, condemned the state leader’s decision to ban members of the press, saying it was ‘hardly appropriate in a democracy’. 

Mr Andrews was further blasted for sharing an incredibly scant daily schedule. 

The six-line bulletin, issued by the Victoria State Government, just lists a series of names of Chinese officials he is supposedly meeting on Tuesday but with no details about what they will discuss.

The figures include Huai Jinpeng, the Chinese Communist Party’s education minister and Dr Yin Yong, Mayor of Beijing.

Laura Jayes, host of the AM Agenda on Sky News Australia, suggested the scant itinerary was ‘doing its best to pretend that this trip is boring and insignificant’.

Mr Andrews will meet Huai Jinpeng, the Chinese Communist Party's education minister

Mr Andrews will meet Huai Jinpeng, the Chinese Communist Party’s education minister

‘If that’s the case he should do it via zoom,’ she wrote on twitter. 

‘Is media is going to get a full read out and recording or each meeting?’

Ms Jayes had previously dubbed the Victorian Premier’s ban on Australian reporters ‘sneaky’ and suggested it was ‘a middle finger to the central tenet of democracy that has served him so well’.

It comes after Chinese state-owned station Phoenix TV aired a news segment which included an interview with Mr Andrews in which he praise Victoria’s relationship with China.

‘The Chinese story is absolutely central to the Victorian story for more than 150 years,’ he said.

‘You cannot imagine a modern Victoria without a Chinese influence.’

He added: ‘We are certainly very proud to have the best part of 100,000 Chinese students here in Melbourne and across Victoria.

‘It makes us a more dynamic city; it’s the biggest export industry that we have.’

Daily Mail Australia revealed that the video was recorded in 2017.  

Mr Andrews is set to visit Jiangsu and Sichuan provinces before returning to Melbourne on Saturday morning.

Laura Jayes, host of the AM Agenda on Sky News Australia, blasted Mr Andrews' decision not to allow reporters on his four-day China trip

Laura Jayes, host of the AM Agenda on Sky News Australia, blasted Mr Andrews’ decision not to allow reporters on his four-day China trip

The list of officials the premier will meet was only published following widespread criticism from the likes of The Australian’s media writer Nick Tabakoff and 3AW presenter Neil Mitchell.

‘It seems to be a case of Chairman Dan adopting the Chinese government culture of explaining as little as possible to the public.’

Mr Tabakoff referred to the famous snap of Dan Andrews talking on his mobile phone while standing in Tiananmen Square on a trip to Beijing in 2015.

‘Part of the problem from Andrews’ perspective might be the photographs that could be snapped by the travelling media on such a visit,’ he added.

Notable Daniel Andrews critic, 3AW’s Neil Mitchell, claimed the move not to allow media was ‘certainly a bad look’ for the premier.

He then joked: ‘He’s involved in so many inquiries in Victoria, that it wouldn’t be surprising if he sought asylum there!’

Liberal MP Dan Tehan called on the premier to be more transparent about his itinerary in China.

‘I think he’s been to China more times than he’s visited Warrnambool.

‘I’m concerned that the only reports we’ll get out of it will be by state-run media in China and I’d really like to know the purpose of this visit,’ Mr Tehan told Sky News on Monday.

However, Mr Andrews defended the decision not to take media after his plans were revealed on Sunday.

‘We’re having a series of meetings back to back, and I don’t think I’ve taken media on every trip I’ve ever done,’ he said.

‘There’ll be other trips this year to lots of different parts of the world, potentially. We still haven’t firmed that up. But you’ll be appropriately invited to those.’

‘We’ve made our choice. You can have a view on that. That’s entirely your job.’

The Victorian Premier will attend a number of meetings with senior Chinese officials to discuss trade, education and cultural matters

The Victorian Premier will attend a number of meetings with senior Chinese officials to discuss trade, education and cultural matters

Chinese President Xi Jinping is not expected to be on the itinerary for Mr Andrews' visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping is not expected to be on the itinerary for Mr Andrews’ visit

Mr Andrews has been accused of being to close to China’s dictatorial government after joining Beijing’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative.

The Morrison Government used newly created powers to tear up the agreement in April 2021 on national interest grounds.

The Belt and Road broadly aims to foster infrastructure projects around the region, and in Victoria’s case ‘increase the participation of Chinese infrastructure companies in Victoria’s infrastructure construction program’. 

However, it is criticised as a soft power grab by China to increase its influence on developing countries, and trap them in debts that force them to do Beijing’s bidding. 

Mr Andrews said China was Victoria’s largest and most significant trading partner and it was important to strengthen that relationship even further.

‘This is not the first trip that I’ve made to China and it won’t be the last,’ he told reporters on Sunday.

‘We think that’s really important for Victorian jobs and exports.’

Mr Andrews said he spoke to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was very positive about the trip.

The Victorian premier denied the relationship between Canberra and Beijing was strained after the $368billion AUKUS submarine deal.

‘I’m not here to be a commentator on the China-Australia relationship… nor am I here to talk about defence or strategic issues or foreign policy issues,’ he said.

‘My job, the job I have always done, is to make sure that more Victorian companies can get access to the biggest market in the world.’

This will be the premier’s seventh visit to China since the Labor government came to office, with previous trips in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and two in 2019. 

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