Last 2 journalists working for Australian media leave China over security fears

I think it'd be a good idea for most new organizations to not be stationed in that country. Boycott this country. They've never kept their promises and will arbitrarily do whatever they want to you. If you don't want to be a political pawn in their game, stay the hell out.

China becoming ever more erratic.

“It’s very disappointing to have to leave under those circumstances and it’s a relief to be back in a country with genuine rule of law,” Birtles said.

quite a funny statement considering Aussie police just last week forcibly entered a house and arrested a mother in front of her children for a Facebook post supporting anti-lockdown protests.

There are several Canadians in prison in China now who were randomly arrested last year as retaliation during a diplomatic spat between the two countries.

As a Canadian I won't set foot in China and I think any national of a country with poor relations with the Chinese government (which is to say almost anybody these days) would be well advised to steer clear (not that its possible to enter China now anyway, but when the pandemic ends). The legal system there is very arbitrary and you have no real rights there.

'Western' anti-media right wingers pushing for greater authoritarian control in their nations must be envious reading about Xi and the CCP stepping even harder on media outlets that might have questioned the Party's control and even worse have had opinions that hadn't been approved in advance by the authoritarian state.

This is what tyranny, dictatorship, media shutdown really looks like.

People using these beautiful words to describe western, christian white countries surely don't have a clue about the real world!

I agree with rainyday

The complete disregar for international and civil laws and how they just arbitrarily arrested those canadians without fear of repercussions is enough to to stay away from that dystopia.

Western' anti-media right wingers pushing for greater authoritarian control in their nations must be envious reading about Xi and the CCP stepping even harder on media outlets that might have questioned the Party's control and even worse have had opinions that hadn't been approved in advance by the authoritarian state.

Please name the "right-wingers" who are against freedom of speech. Ill wait.

The entire world knows by now that assaults on the freedom of speech is strictly the business of the left; tech czars in Silicon Valley, the Universities, and legacy media. China is their model.

Luckily the Embassy and consulate staff were able to get these people out in time. Left or Right keep your politics. In name only do they differ. The only authority should be yourself. Not a uniformed interigator forcing lies under threat of pain. Dressed in Red or Blue neither have the high ground. A travel warning is in place on China best to head it.

The Chinese Communist Government bully character will not disappear as long as Xi Jinping was the President of Communist China. Westerners should leave China because they will be arrested by Communist Police and send to prison. If the Western Companies leave the China and stop importing goods from China and then the Communist Government may learn a lesson. Xi Jinping has Hitler mentality. He is a dangerous person. I told my friend don't go back to visit your family because he may take hostage by Xi Jinping Government.

“It’s very disappointing to have to leave under those circumstances and it’s a relief to be back in a country with genuine rule of law,” Birtles said.

He might want to steer clear of Victoria. Chairman Dan might send him back.

bobToday  01:35 pm JST

“It’s very disappointing to have to leave under those circumstances and it’s a relief to be back in a country with genuine rule of law,” Birtles said.

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quite a funny statement considering Aussie police just last week forcibly entered a house and arrested a mother in front of her children for a Facebook post supporting anti-lockdown protests.

Journalists who report the truth aren't welcome in Victoria. Look what happened to one that the reported on the "illegal" anti-lockdown protests in Melbourne last Saturday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TGRi2GusCI

“It’s very disappointing to have to leave under those circumstances and it’s a relief to be back in a country with genuine rule of law,” Birtles said.

Yeah, about that... is dragging a pregnant woman from her house in front of her terrified kids for the crime of making a FB post part of your precious 'rule of law'?

It’s very disappointing to have to leave under those circumstances and it’s a relief to be back in a country with genuine rule of law,” Birtles said.

Be happy to leave and to live again in free democratic country. China lost all the credibility.  Nothing good will ever come from this country.

Aussies banging on about how bad China is, what about your own country? Victoria Police have taken to their new 'political enforcer' paradigm like ducks to water. And given the States in Oz are effectively sovereign entities, you have fringe minor parties which are prepared to give the extreme leftist (Marxist) Victorian Premier extended emergency powers no Australian alive today has ever seen before, and Australians suddenly find themselves in an extremely serious position.

Victoria, Australia, has been transformed into a police state virtually overnight.

This is not hyperbole.

A conservative reporter was snatched by VicPol overnight with no due process.

If they are spies, they are a disgrace to all journalists around the world. This year many many journalists have been killed. China would not stop free journalists if they follow the rules.

aussie is most probably a US puppet. To use Aussie is easier than to use American.

how about..,let’s be friends?

If they are spies, they are a disgrace to all journalists around the world. This year many many journalists have been killed. China would not stop free journalists if they follow the rules.

aussie is most probably a US puppet. To use Aussie is easier than to use American.

how about..,let’s be friends?

Xi Jinping couldn't have said it better himself.

Like I have been harping for decades about the Chinese MONSTER.............We are getting closer & closer to more serious situations, glad those Aussies escaped tyranny!!

The west REALLY needs to get the hell OUT of China, the sooner the LESS painful it will be, China is clearly now pretty damned nuts & is not safe to visit & any foreigners living there should seriously GET OUT as soon as they can, it is going to get even uglier than it already is there sadly!

When journalists are arrested in China, we always see a forced confession after about 3 weeks of beatings

OR

they are never seen again and the CCP-govt denies everything.

When people are arrested in Australia, they get a lawyer, full due process, human treatment, and if there is nothing proven against the law, then they are released. There is a time limit for how long someone can be held and there are news outlets watching. It isn't arbitrary application of some "causing trouble" law being claimed to have been broken. In China, "causing trouble" is against the law - which means it can be applied to anyone, at any time, for completely arbitrary reasons - effectively, it is the thought police and all non-CCP are clearly not thinking correctly, which causes trouble.

What the Chinese attempted is state sponsored kidnapping. They do this routinely but few hear about it, detaining foreigners by denying them the ability to leave China in retaliation for things some relative did. The Chinese will try to force the person they want to return to China in exchange for allowing the relative to leave. Or they scoop up a couple of Canadians on fake charges as retaliation for the extradition trial of Meng Wanzhou. Good for the Aussies for sticking up for their journalists.

The foreign journalists in China usually write up reports that are not always accurate. Such reports which usually depict China as a boogeyman, are broadcast across the globe almost simultaneously...Hong Kong, Taiwan and China's Uighur muslims have nothing to do with Australia, the UK/US, France, Germany and Canada...I think it is time China supported Spain on the issue of Gibraltar, and Argentina on Falkland Islands, Indonesia on Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Madagascar on its neighbouring islands and Turkey on the Mediterranean gas reserves... If China is going to be consistently looked down on their achievements in terms of the higher standards of living; welfare, democracy, economy; for creating jobs both at home and abroad, then so be it...What did the US or Australia do to improve the global economy and standards of living across the world in the last 10 years? When it comes to selling weapons to dodgy countries such as Egypt, Israel and Saudi Arabia, somehow the western countries such as the US, UK, France, Australia and Canada come always on the top of the list.

@kyronstavic

He might want to steer clear of Victoria. Chairman Dan might send him back.

@Ego Sum Lux Mundi

is dragging a pregnant woman from her house in front of her terrified kids for the crime of making a FB post part of your precious 'rule of law'?

@Gooflucktoyou

If they are spies, they are a disgrace to all journalists around the world.

WELL SAID! Bravo. On that front, can I just add that the aboriginal people in Australia are stil being discriminated and the far right and xenophobia are on the rise. Remember, a number of Australian media outlets, a lot of people and politicians supported the ideology of a terrorist who killed so many in NZ. Just search "Fraser Anning's views on NZ attack" on youtube. They call this freedom of speech in Australia and many other white men dominated western countries. I cannot imagine how they would react to such views if the victims were white Christians...

The foreign journalists in China usually write up reports that are not always accurate. Such reports which usually depict China as a boogeyman, are broadcast across the globe almost simultaneously...Hong Kong, Taiwan and China's Uighur muslims have nothing to do with Australia, the UK/US, France, Germany and Canada

Says our correspondent with the Global Times ........

Go to China and see what it's really like before writing nonsense like that. Don't be dazzled by the glitz of their cities. Dig a little deeper. Ask people some questions and see how they answer. The Chinese government and communist party richly deserve the criticism they receive. Now the blind helmsman Xi Jinping has directed that certain classes taught to Mongols be taught in Mandarin instead of the Mongol language as has been the tradition up till now. Mongol parents are keeping their children out of class. This will get interesting to say the least. One more sharp knife added to Xi's juggling act. At some point he will start dropping knives and poke himself.

Xi Jinping couldn't have said it better himself.

I think he is applying for work with the Global Times and wants his social media posts to be just so .......

Hong Kong, Taiwan and China's Uighur muslims have nothing to do with Australia, the UK/US, France, Germany and Canada..

Unfortunately the people committing genocide on the Uighurs are those supposed to be protecting them - their own government. If the rest of the world doesn’t step up, they have no one.

You can be an apologist for the Chinese government’s massacre of the Uighurs but don’t expect the rest of us who have morals to do the same.

@Desert Tortoise

I am from YN Times actually ;D... I have been to China several times. Your experience is obviously different to mine...When I got lost in Beijing the Chinese police were very helpful. I didn't meet any police officer who would stop and search people out of the blue there. I didn't see any police officer who would knee on people's kneck until they couldn't breath and die...I didn't see crowds being shot at by the police either. Everyone was getting on with their daily lives. I haven't been to Australia yet- the Australian authorities refused my visa application without giving me any reason. I think they either didn't like the color of my skin or thought I visited a dodgy country such as China previously. Whatever the reason I don't give a toss. I can visit any other country in Asia without a problem.

Before pointing your arrows at China all the time, dig a little deeper and ask yourself why people are still being discriminated in the USA. 1 out of 3 black people cannot vote in the US and yet they call it the best democracy in the world..ha ha ha...What a joke! Similarly in France and Austria people (muslims) are prosecuted/fined for their views and yet Macron ironically claims Europe stands by freedom of speech (when the white French insults muslims and burns their holy book, yes they do stand by it)...

Freedom of the Press... hmmm... Free the Press.

This is a great move by the CCP... Kick out the Western Media Corporations... I mean, just think about how much money they will save in bribes to the execs to suppress those Politically embarrassing stories. Now, they can simply claim, that such stories are unfounded, and based upon "Fake News" from Social media (which cant possibly leak from the Chinese Firewall), so must therefore be made up news from Foreign influences.

CCP enforcers... beat up a 12 year old Girl ....I saw that a day before it hit the mainstream media ... I guess it took time for the Media Execs to get clearance from their CCP pay lords before they could publish the watered down versions....

China... is exactly like Germany of the late 1930s.... even with a sector of their population now in Concentration camps... what's left is an Invasion of another Country.... Hmm. India or Taiwan ?

Trump's going to reinforce the Taiwan side by a visit later this Month, and India wont take sh1t from China...