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Title

Main Committee

ADJOURNMENT

China

Database

House Hansard

Date

23-06-2005

Source

House of Reps

Parl No.

41

Electorate

Melbourne Ports

Interjector

 

Main Committee/Federation Chamber

Yes

Page

249

Party

ALP

Presenter

 

Status

Final

Question No.

 

Questioner

 

Responder

 

Speaker

Danby, Michael, MP

Stage

China

Type

 

Context

Adjournment

System Id

chamber/hansardr/2005-06-23/0398


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Thursday, 23 June 2005
Page: 249


Mr DANBY (1:27 PM) —Last night the program Lateline showed excerpts of a press conference of the Chinese defector Chen Yonglin, where—to quote Tony Jones, the compere—grave allegations about a ‘coordinated diplomatic strategy by China to draw Australia away from the US and into the communist nation’s sphere of influence’ were broadcast. At his press conference, Chen Yonglin said:

The Chinese Government consider Australia can be part of a role, like France, can implement a policy to say no to the United States.

The Lateline journalist Michael Edwards said: ‘According to Mr Chen, China views Australia as a country that can be bought off in return for its silence on human rights abuses within China.’ Chen Yonglin, in translation, said:

To utilise economic needs and financial forces to pressure or to force Australian Government to give grounds on the political and human rights sensitive issues.

Michael Edwards said that Chen Yonglin had seen this when Australian officials visited China. Chen Yonglin, in translation, at his press conference said:

They have virtually raised no human rights issue whatsoever and that is why the Chinese Government believes the Australian Government can be bribed ... can be bought.

These are very serious allegations.

Next week in Beijing the ninth part of the China human rights dialogue will take place. I know there are many officials and people in the Australian government who do have an earnest desire to promote human rights in that great country, that great trading partner of ours, but I do feel there is some truth or substance to the allegation that, in making a formalised human rights dialogue, the Australian government seems to have given up its capacity to speak out on these kinds of issues. That does seem a great shame.

We have seen recently in China some great mistreatments of the Catholic Church, in particular, which concern me, and other people have spoken about other religious persecutions that are taking place in China. The New York Times has been reporting that internet activists are being jailed and that blogs have to be registered with the Chinese secret police. I find all of these things particularly regrettable, given that Australia should have a fine economic relationship with China based on the fact that we have raw materials at the right price that China wants, whether they are liquid natural gas or iron ore. We should not be doing as I have heard some government members suggest—trying to imitate the United States in seeking to financially influence China.

Main Committee adjourned at 1.30 pm, until a date and time to be fixed.