An Australian journalist, Bertel (right), who was interviewed, revealed that his questioning was mainly related to the arrest of Australian Chinese host Cheng Lei.
The detention of an Australian journalist, national security official working in China's official media and the interview of two journalist, based in Beijing and Shanghai drew criticism authorities Australia. Chinese state media later sent a reply, referring to Australia in authorities 6 month searched a number of Chinese local journalist in Australia residence.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on Wednesday that the Australian authorities launched an unprecedented foreign intervention investigation against a senior official, during which two Chinese media officials stationed in Australia were targeted and two visas for well-known Chinese scholars were revoked ," triggering an angry response from Chinese government ".
China's Xinhua News Agency and the Global Times reported on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, that, Australian intelligence officers searched the home of Chinese journalist in Australia on June 26, Also criticized the action of the Australian government to create a "white terror" against Chinese agency personnel and local pro-Chinese figures ".
The chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs speaker said at a regular journalist meeting on wednesday that australian intelligence officers in late june searched and questioned a total of four people from xinhua, china's central radio and television station and china news agency in the area on suspicion of violating the local anti-foreign interference law. speaker, Australians have seized journalist computers, cell phones and even tablets for children. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs speaker's criticism of Australia has caused "serious damage to the physical and mental health of Chinese journalist and their families ".
The British Broadcasting Corporation Chinese asked the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade about the accusation of Chinese state media and did not receive a reply before the deadline, Australian media quotes confirmed that Australian authorities did interview some local Chinese journalist. The operation was related to the search by Australian intelligence in June of the residence and office of a local councillor on suspicion of "national security ". The report did not indicate whether the authorities had searched the residence of those Chinese journalist at the same time.
Australian Foreign Minister Jean Penn described the past week as "a series of disappointing events ".
Is the report of Chinese official media reliable?
The Global Times quoted sources as saying that Australian intelligence agents had "long cross-examined journalist ", forcibly seized journalist computers, cell phones, etc.
The Global Times said the search was "recent ", But Xinhua reported that the investigation was conducted at dawn on June 26, And a more specific description of the search, "raid" on the premises of Chinese media journalist in Australia without proper justification, For hours of questioning journalist, and take away journalist working computer, mobile phone, mobile U disk (computer memory stick), text manuscript, etc. Australian intelligence officers also asked the Chinese journalist to keep the search "confidential'..."
Neither the global times nor xinhua report mentioned how many chinese journalist were investigated, nor did they provide their names or the names of the agencies they worked for, but the xinhua report noted that australian intelligence officers also searched the offices of mossman (Shaoquett Moselmane), the labour lords councillor new south wells state, the same day.
The sydney morning peak newspaper quoted wednesday as saying that australia's security intelligence agency (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, ASIO) did interview at least one chinese journalist associated with mossman on june 26, and that the operation was also linked to the search of mossman's office, but did not mention whether the operation seizure of journalist computer and mobile items, as chinese state media claimed.
According to the report, members of the Australian Federal Police carried out an investigation involving Australian security intelligence personnel on the same day, searching Moser and his part-time staff member Zhang Zhisen (John Zhang)'s residence and office. The federal police then accusation the communist party authorities trying to "infiltrate" the parliament. of the state of New South Wales through Mossman
The focus of the authorities survey included a social app group, which was used to "support and encourage mosman to work for china ", with about seven members, including zhang zhisen, some foreign journalist and chinese scholars, according to mosman, who was interviewed by bbc in august. Mossman says it's just an ordinary social group, and he does n' t say if the "foreign journalist ""in it come from China.
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China's journalist questioned by australian security intelligence agencies is one of the group's members, the sydney morning peak newspaper said wednesday.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) published an investigation on Wednesday that the visas of two Chinese scholars in the social app group had also been cancelled, and two local Chinese media executives had become the target of an investigation involving foreign interference cases by the Australian Federal Police and Australian security intelligence agencies.
The report said the Australian federal police and Australian security intelligence agencies jointly investigated two top Chinese media executives and two Chinese scholars, two of whom were interviewed, citing a notice from the Australian Home Office to cancel their Australian visas on the grounds of "national security ", while the Australian authorities was investigating a case of Chinese Communist Party alleged use of a part-time employee of the Labour backseat councillor Mosman's office, former Chinese government official Zhang Zhisen ," infiltrating" the parliament of New South Wales.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said that the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Agency jointly investigated two senior Chinese media personnel, namely China News Service Australian Branch President Tao She-lan (Tao Shelan) and China International Radio Sydney Branch President Li Dayong (Li Dayong). The two Chinese scholars are famous Chinese scholars and media commentator Professor Chen Hong (Chen Hong) and well-known Australian research scholar Li Jianjun (Li Jianjun). authorities suspect that they use mainland Chinese social platform social app, as a "penetration" tool.
Foreign media reported in june on the search by the australian authorities for mossman, pointing out that the search was linked to china's alleged interference in australia's internal affairs. Some journalist asked questions at a regular journalist meeting in china on Ministry of Foreign Affairs 6 29, in response to a comment on australia's internal affairs, but described some australian politicians as "paranoid who seem to be suffering from imaginary fears about china ".
Australia's prime minister, maulison, did not disclose the contents of the investigation against mossman, but said the authorities search showed its determination to stop foreign intervention in australia.
She joined China International Television (CGTN) eight years ago to host the program. of Global Finance
Cross-check between Australia and China
Mossman was born in Lebanon and emigrated to Australia as a child. Since his election as councillor of the upper house of new south wales, he has repeatedly praised china's comments, including its efforts to fight the new crown virus pneumonia in march. After being investigated in June, he issued a public letter stating that he had not committed a crime, and that his own view of China was "that every Australian should have it.
Mosman is not the first Australian politician to be investigated for accusation involvement in the country's internal affairs accusation China for years. Labour party parliament councillor dunson (Sam Dastyari) contacted huang xiangmo, a chinese businessman accused of having ties to the communist party in 2017, to tell the party that he could be monitored by australian intelligence. Denson finally resigned from parliament position.
relationship in China and Australia have recently become nervous over a string of events. Among the latest developments is the arrest by the chinese authorities of cheng lei, a chinese-american anchorwoman from china's global television network, on suspicion of "engaging in criminal activities endangering china's national security.
After Cheng Lei was detained, two Australian journalist stationed in Beijing and Shanghai were interviewed by China's National Security Agency. One of them, the australian broadcasting company in beijing journalist bertel (Bill Birtles) revealed that he eventually negotiated with australian diplomats in beijing, agreed to a hotel in beijing to make an hour of interviews with chinese personnel, related to chenglei's case.
He flew to Shanghai the next day of the interview to meet another Australian journalist and the two flew back to Australia.
Australian Foreign Minister Wayne (Marise Payne) described the past week as "a series of disappointing events ".
On Tuesday, China Ministry of Foreign Affairs speaker noted that China's interview with the two Australian journalist was a "normal law enforcement act" and stressed that China guaranteed the legal rights, of journalists according to law, but they also had an obligation to abide by China's law laws and regulations.
