China's foreign ministry has accused Australia of violating the rights of Chinese foreign journalists by searching their homes and seizing belongings, days after the last remaining Australian journalists in China fled the country.
A number of Chinese state media outlets on Wednesday on 26 June, apparently triggered by the evacuation of two Australian correspondents on Tuesday.
The ABC's Bill Birtles and the Australian Financial Review's Michael Smith after being questioned in connection to a "national security" investigation against .
The Chinese foreign ministry doubled down on the allegations late on Wednesday, with ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian calling on the Australian government to stop "such blatant irrational behaviours, stop harassing and oppressing Chinese personnel in Australia under whatever pretext".
Australian journalists Michael Smith (L) and Bill Birtles (R) were forced to leave China after being questioned by police. Source: Twitter via Bill Birtles
Mr Zhao said Australian officials had seized laptops, mobile phones, and a child's tablet from the homes of four journalists, including from state media outlet Xinhua and the China News Service, in response to "a possible breach of Australia's anti-foreign interference laws".
The four journalists are believed to be back in China, Mr Zhao said.
“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."
The alleged June raids occurred around the same time the Australian Federal Police (AFP) searched the home of NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane over alleged links to China under new foreign interference laws.
Mr Moselmane called an impromptu press conference after his home was searched, where he suggested the AFP's investigation related to other individuals who may have sought to advance the goals of the Chinese government, but did not extend to him.
Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who spearheaded the foreign interference laws in 2018, told ABC's Radio National on Thursday that outrage from Beijing is always "designed to get an outcome".
"What they appear to be admitting is they kicked out two of our journalists because ASIO investigated two of theirs who left," he said. "If you're going to defend your own sovereignty, you have to be prepared to take the consequences."
Mr Turnbull defended the laws, which ban foreign political donations, stating they were designed to protect Australia's "democracy and sovereignty".
"We don't have a problem with somebody here representing an agency of the Chinese Communist Party, as long as they are upfront about it," he said.
The Department of Home Affairs, which managed ASIO and the AFP, has been contacted for comment.
With Reuters
