The Chinese government on Wednesday accused Australia of "blatant irrational behaviour", harassment and violation of the rights of its journalists by searching and seizing items from the homes of four Chinese state media reporters.
The revelation of the Australian raids in late June is the latest barb in a deteriorating relationship between the two major trading partners, coming just a day after two Australian journalists flew home from China with the help of consular officials.
The flight of the two Australian journalists, from Beijing and Shanghai, after they were questioned by China's state security ministry gained international attention.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Australian officials cited a possible violation of the country's foreign interference laws for their raids in June, but had not provided a "reasonable explanation" for the searches.
"The Australian government's behaviour ... blatantly violates the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese journalists there and caused severe harm to the physical and mental health of the journalists and their families," Zhao said in a daily briefing. "We ask Australia to immediately stop such blatant irrational behaviors, stop harassing and oppressing Chinese personnel in Australia under whatever pretext."
Zhao said officials seized laptops, cellphones, and a child's toy tablet from the homes of reporters from outlets including state news agency Xinhua and the China News Service.
The Australian foreign office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A spokesman for Australia's Attorney General Christian Porter declined to comment on "operational matters" when asked about an earlier report on the Australian raids by Xinhua, but added that authorities "take issues of foreign interference very seriously." The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) also declined to comment on the Xinhua report, in line with usual practice.
Xinhua reported the Chinese journalists were told to "be silent" about the incident, without detailing how many were questioned or citing sources for its report.
The Chinese embassy in Canberra said it had provided consular support to journalists, in response to a question about the raids.
Australia has a tense diplomatic relationship with China, which worsened this year after Beijing vowed trade reprisals and said it was angered by Australia's call for an international inquiry into the source of the coronavirus pandemic.
The two Australian journalists who arrived home from China on Tuesday had sought shelter in the embassy in Beijing and the consulate in Shanghai after police entered their homes a week ago and told them they were barred from leaving China.
They had been questioned in the case of Cheng Lei, an Australian journalist for Chinese state television who was detained in China three weeks ago. Chinese officials confirmed on Tuesday she was being held on suspicion of illegal activities that endanger China's security.
The departure of the two reporters leaves Australian media organisations with no correspondent in China for the first time since the 1970s.
AFP PROBE
The Xinhua report also criticised a search of the home and office of New South Wales state politician Shaoquett Moselmane on June 26, alleging he was targeted for his praise of China's achievements in fighting the coronavirus and criticising Australia's China policy.
Documents lodged in Australia's High Court on Aug. 3 show a staff member of Moselmane, John Zhang, is being investigated by the Australian Federal Police for allegedly acting on behalf of the Chinese state in "a private social media chat group" with Moselmane.
Moselmane has said he is not a suspect in the investigation, telling Australian Broadcasting Corp television last month that he participated in "just a social group", including "a couple of journalists, foreign journalists and one John Zhang".
Zhang has not been charged with any offence and his lawyers are seeking to have the search warrants quashed, according to the court documents.
Reuters
Wed Sep 09 2020
A combination still image taken from an ABC footage shows journalists Bill Birtles and Michael Smith talking to the media in Sydney, Australia, Sept. 8 2020. REUTERSpic
IShowSpeed tiba di KL, terima baju batik daripada peminat
Speed menerima hadiah daripada beberapa orang peminat Malaysia ketika kenderaannya berhenti di lampu isyarat di ibu negara pada Selasa,
Penyanyi Sean Diddy ditangakp di New York
Penerbit muzik terkenal, Puff Daddy atau lebih dikenali sebagai Sean Diddy Combs yang berdepan dengan beberapa tuduhan serangan seksual telah diberkas di Manhatann, New York oleh ejen persekutuan pada Isnin waktu tempatan.
10 maut, puluhan cedera bas Iran terbalik
Menurut angka awal, kemalangan itu mengakibatkan 10 maut dan 41 cedera.
Malaysia perlu melabur dalam infrastruktur
Pengarah Eksekutif Ukrainian Prism, Hennadiy Maksak berpandangan, Malaysia juga tidak boleh bergantung kepada satu laluan, selain menjalin hubungan yang baik dengan negara-negara jiran.
Lebih 1,000 rakyat termasuk pejuang Hezbollah cedera parah
Lebih seribu rakyat Lubnan termasuk anggota pejuang Hezbollah dan petugas perubatan cedera parah dalam satu letupan pada Selasa.
Tetingkap Tunggal Nasional memudahkan operasi perdagangan antara Malaysia dan China
Menteri Pelaburan, Perdagangan dan Industri (MITI), Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz berpendapat inisiatif Tetingkap Tunggal Nasional (National single window) yang bakal diharmonikan Bersama system kastam China akan memudahkan operasi perniagaan dan perdagangan (ease of doing business) antara Malaysia dan China.
Medan selera perlu ditambah baik, kemudahan asas tidak lengkap
Air bergenang di lantai dan tempias sehingga meja makan mengakibatkan pengunjung basah. Itu situasi apabila keadaan hujan lebat di Medan Selera Taman Makmur di dalam Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Mahkota yang menempatkan deretan 12 kedai makan.
Calon manfaat platform media sosial dekati pengundi luar
Kempen Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Mahkota turut memberi tumpuan kepada penggunaan media sosial bagi menambat hati pengundi luar selain kempen secara bersemuka.
Seorang wanita maut jatuh lubang saluran air
Seorang wanita maut selepas terjatuh ke dalam lubang saluran air sedalam dua meter ketika menyertai aktiviti mendaki di Bukit Cherok Tok Kun pada Selasa.
Kerja pembersihan sisa kimia dijalankan pada Selasa
Kerja-kerja pembersihan sisa bahan kimia yang dibuang secara haram di Kawasan Perindustrian Tiong Nam dan Kawasan Perindustrian Tropika, Johor bermula pada Selasa.
Muhammad Azeem mahu jadi Raja Pecut Asia 2025
Katanya, beliau kini dalam fasa transisi perubahan corak latihan di bawah kendalian Ken Harden yang dijangka beri kesan positif terhadap prestasinya.
Sumbangan Tunku Abdul Rahman di peringkat ASEAN, antarabangsa amat besar - Arkib
Generasi sekarang mungkin sekadar mengingati Almarhum Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj sebagai pejuang kemerdekaan dan pembentukan negara, dan seterusnya sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia yang pertama.
Pasaran saham Asia menjunam akibat kebimbangan kemelesetan di Amerika Syarikat
Pasaran saham utama di Asia mengalami kejatuhan besar pada Isnin akibat kebimbangan bahawa Amerika Syarikat mungkin menuju kemelesetan.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
WEF China membuka tirai, tangani indikator negatif ekonomi global
Lima indikator negatif tersebut termasuk faktor geopolitik (79 peratus), paras hutang (68 peratus) dan polarisasi sosial (65 peratus).
Qatar tawar insentif lebih RM11 bilion untuk pelabur luar sertai agenda transformasi digitalnya
Qatar tawar QR9 bilion (lebih RM11 bilion) untuk pelabur sertai agendanya membuat transformasi digital, termasuk AI dan bahasa Arab.
Serangan dron Iran tidak akan berlaku sekiranya Israel berhenti seksa rakyat Palestin - Pakar
Serangan dron oleh Iran ke atas Israel tidak akan berlaku sekiranya rejim Zionis itu menghentikan kedegilan dan kerakusan membunuh dan menyerang rakyat Palestin.
MITEC dinobat sebagai Pusat Konvensyen Terbaik Asia, Malaysia 2023 oleh World MICE Awards
Venue pertama dibina khas di Malaysia untuk mesyuarat, persidangan, pameran dan acara gaya hidup yang merangkul anugerah berprestij itu.
Bursa Malaysia lepasi paras 1,500 selepas setahun
FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) telah melepasi paras 1,500 mata.
Lebih 1,700 individu ditahan dalam operasi senjata Interpol di Asia
Lebih 1,700 suspek ditahan di 10 negara Asia dalam operasi besar-besaran terhadap penyeludupan senjata api haram, kata Interpol.