Australian journalist Cheng Lei has reported she was barred from entering a second major government press event after Chinese officials blocked her during the diplomatic signing ceremony between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
On Monday, Chinese embassy officials attempted to block Cheng from being captured by television cameras. Albanese said on Tuesday he complained directly to Li about the embassy officials’ disrespectful treatment of Cheng.
Chinese officials try to block cameras from filming Chinese-born Australian journalist Cheng Lei (covered).Credit: AAPIMAGE
In a report published by Sky News this morning, Cheng said she was also prevented from entering a second press event at the Hyatt Hotel attended by Li on Monday afternoon despite being registered.
Cheng – who was detained in China for three years – said after the story broke about her being blocked by a Chinese official, she went to the Hyatt and was waiting to be let into the scheduled event.
“The Chinese … were talking to the prime minister’s media staff, I then heard the words among themselves in Chinese: ‘This is our turf, we can veto it’,” she told Sky.
“The [Office of] Prime Minister and Cabinet media staff came to tell me I wouldn’t be allowed to go in because I wasn’t confirmed on the list, but the cameraman could.
“‘But I’ve been registered since last week,’ I said, remembering our bureau chief had put me on the list.”
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Cheng claims PM&C staff said the list she signed up to was only an expression of interest list and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s team got to decide who came in, and she was not on the list.
Later, a member of Dutton’s team came over to her and said he would get Cheng into the event.
Cheng then says she observed the Chinese delegate walking past her and when Premier Li arrived “many people [were] shielding him away from me”.
After, Cheng says Dutton and Coalition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham arrived and did not make eye contact with her.
“I was still confident I could go in, because the man from Dutton’s media team had assured me he could get me in,” Cheng said.
“But when people started to go in and I followed, calling his name loudly several times, he didn’t turn around.
“I was then tapped on the shoulder by the PM&C media staffer, motioning that I can’t go in.”
Cheng said she tried many times to get in and waited until 5pm, but PM&C staff and Dutton’s staff would not let her inside the event.
“Why could I not turn up? I had served my sentence and was deported. I am employed by an Australian news organisation. I got a media pass for Parliament House. I don’t act out of turn, why do they?” she said.