The Guardian-Chinese premiers Australia visit overshadowed by officials apparent attempt to block Cheng Leis view at event
June 17, 2024 4 min 710 words
西方媒体的这篇报道主要描述澳大利亚和中国之间复杂的关系。在李强访问澳大利亚，两国关系回暖的背景下，报道却选择关注中国官员对记者程蕾的反应，并以此批评中国。评论如下： 该报道有失偏颇，刻意突出反华团体的声音，渲染人权问题，而对中澳关系的积极进展一带而过。报道将焦点集中在程蕾身上，并指责中国官员试图阻挡她的视线，以此暗示中国压制媒体自由。然而，正文中提供的信息显示，程蕾作为媒体代表参加了活动，并没有受到限制。澳大利亚官员可能出于对她安全的考虑，避免她受到某些干扰。报道中提到的反华示威活动，实际上是澳方未尽到维持秩序的责任，反倒指责中方，有失公允。此外，报道忽视了中澳关系的积极进展，澳总理阿尔巴尼斯强调了两国之间开展成熟对话的必要性，并肯定了取得的进展。这篇报道有选择地呈现事实，刻意营造负面印象，反映出西方媒体对中国的偏见和不客观。
The Australian government has rolled out the welcome mat as China’s premier, Li Qiang, visited Canberra, but his visit may have been overshadowed by an apparent attempt by Chinese officials to block the view of the formerly detained Australian journalist, Cheng Lei, during a signing ceremony.
The first trip to Australia by a Chinese premier in seven years is the most striking symbol yet of the easing of tensions in a previously turbulent relationship.
On Monday, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, strongly backed the need for “mature” dialogue between the two nations and hailed the progress made so far. But he gently rebuffed calls from the Chinese government to “shelve” their differences.
The formal events in the nation’s capital began with a ceremonial welcome on the Parliament House forecourt, including a 19-gun salute and an opportunity for Li to inspect the guard of honour.
As the Chinese and Australian national anthems were played, Li and Albanese stood on a podium facing out from Parliament House from where the two leaders would have had a good view of two distinct groups gathered about 200m away on the lawns.
A patriotic pro-China group included people waving Chinese and Australian flags in support of the visit, while others, holding Tibetan flags, protested the visit on human rights grounds.
“Free Tibet” chants from the anti-visit demonstrators could be heard during the ceremonial welcome; and protesters also held a large sign declaring: “Human rights, not for sale. Free Uyghurs! Free Tibet! Free Hong Kong! Free China!”
After Albanese and Li held their annual leaders’ meeting, the pair attended a media event where officials and ministers signed a series of agreements, including ones to deepen economic dialogue and cooperation on the climate crisis.
Cheng, who was detained in China on ill-defined national security-related accusations from 2020, attended the event in her capacity as a presenter and reporter for Sky News Australia.
The journalist was finally released from detention late last year after repeated calls from the Australian government to allow her to return home.
She sat with fellow Australian journalists in the seats set aside for media representatives. As the agreements were being signed, a Chinese embassy official stood in a position in front of Cheng but looking towards the official proceedings.
Australian officials repeatedly asked the Chinese embassy official to move, initially politely. After these requests were rebuffed, an Australian official was heard to say: “You’re standing in front of my Australian colleague – you must move.”
A fellow Australian journalist then offered to swap seats with Cheng, resulting in her moving two seats to the right. After the pair swapped seats, another embassy official appeared to move around to try to get close to Cheng. An Australian official blocked the path before that official could get close to Cheng.
Albanese and Li proceeded to give their statements to the media, in a format that did not allow journalists to ask questions.
Cheng later told Sky News she believed the officials were trying “to prevent me from saying something or doing something that they think would be a bad look, but that in itself was a bad look”.
She said the Australian officials “behaved courteously” whereas the Chinese embassy officials were “willing to go above and beyond the line of decency”.
Cheng said the need to participate in “musical chairs” had distracted her and other journalists from doing what they were there to do – report on the content of the announcements.
Comment is being sought from the Chinese embassy.
Li was later feted at a state lunch in Parliament House’s Great Hall, where Albanese called for “a secure and stable region” and said it was “always better if we deal direct with each other”.
Albanese said the two countries were “making progress in stabilising and rebuilding” dialogue, but added: “We won’t always agree – and the points on which we disagree won’t simply disappear if we leave them in silence.”