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Man behind viral "democracy manifest" arrest dies

<p>Jack Karlson, the man behind one of Australia's most famous viral memes, has died aged 82. </p> <p>Karlson shot to fame after footage of his 1991 arrest outside the China Sea Restaurant in Brisbane went viral in 2009 when someone uploaded it to the internet. </p> <p>"Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest," he said during the arrest. </p> <p>"What is the charge? Eating a meal - a succulent Chinese meal?"</p> <p>"Have a look at the headlock here. See that chap over there?" he went on.</p> <p>"Get your hand off my penis! This is the bloke who got me on the penis before."</p> <p>Reports at the time suggested that Karlson had been arrested on suspicion of being criminal that was high on Queensland police's wanted list. </p> <p>While he did have a criminal history himself as he was known for several prison escapes throughout his life, he insisted that he was the wrong man. </p> <p>The reporter who reported Karlson's arrest 33 years ago, Chris Reason, confirmed Karlson's death in a social media post on X, tweeting that "Mr Democracy Manifest has died".</p> <p>A fundraiser had been set up for Karlson by his niece in June after he was reportedly diagnosed with prostate cancer and needed surgery for cataracts. </p> <p>“I know Jack’s video has given a lot of people joy and he has inspired many memes, t-shirts and other things over the years but Jack himself is doing it quite tough,” his niece wrote on the fundraiser at the time. </p> <p>“He has never had much money but has always been generous to family and friends. He lives week to week in regional QLD with the help of a voluntary carer.</p> <p>“Hoping people can dig deep – I think he’s worth at least a beer, maybe even a 6-pack.”</p> <p>In an update last week, his niece said that he wasn't doing well. </p> <p>“He has been in Hospital for two weeks now,” she wrote.</p> <p>“He has had multiple procedures but things are not looking good.</p> <p>“One thing that did lift his spirits was that the GoFundMe was taking off. He has been really appreciative of the donations and the comments.”</p> <p>A documentary about his life is currently in production and set to be released in early 2025. </p> <p><em>Images: 7News</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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Internet icon falls asleep during interview with Karl

<p>An interview on the <em>Today</em> show has gone pear-shaped after the famous guest seemed to fall asleep live on air. </p> <p>Hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo were joined by Jack Karlson: the man behind the infamous “Democracy Manifest” news segment from 1991, which later became a much-loved online meme.</p> <p>Karlson, who appears in the vintage news clip being arrested outside a Brisbane restaurant after enjoying what he referred to as a “succulent Chinese meal”, was joined by one of his arresting officers on the morning show to discuss the incident. </p> <p>The interview kicked off and quickly went downhill, as the elderly gentlemen seemed to be having audio problems and couldn't hear Karl and Sarah's line of questioning.</p> <p>Then, as the former police officer began answering questions, Karlson closed his eyes for over a minute, seemingly having a nap live on air. </p> <p>Stefanovic noticed Karlson's impromptu kip, asking, “I just got a little worried there, Jack might’ve nodded off like <em>Weekend at Bernies</em>. You still with us, Jackie boy?”</p> <p>Karlson opened his eyes and rejoined the conversation to discuss the upcoming documentary <em>The Man Who Ate A Succulent Chinese Meal</em>, based on Karlson’s life.</p> <p>Directed by Heath Davis and co-produced by Tim Randall and Mark Dapin, author of <em>Carnage: A Succulent Chinese Meal</em> based on the now-viral event, the film is currently set for release in March 2025.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PeihcfYft9w?si=QX2m9akJwHEwwBev" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>The video of Karlson’s arrest became an meme when it was finally uploaded to the internet in 2009. </p> <p>In the video, Karlson declared while resisting arrest by police: “This is democracy manifest!”, “Get your hand off my penis!” and “What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?” </p> <p><em>Image credits: Today </em></p>

TV

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Chinese zoo's "panda" display under fire

<p>A zoo in China has come under fire after visitors noticed something strange about the baby panda display. </p> <p>Taizhou Zoo, in the eastern Jiangsu Province, advertised their baby panda enclosure, which was actually just two small Chow Chow dogs dyed black and white. </p> <p>The tickets to the display which are believed to have gone public late last week, read "Xiong Mao Quan" which translates to "panda dogs", Chinese newspaper The Global Times reported.</p> <p>Footage of the animals in the enclosure has gone viral, with many sharing their confusion over the zoo's special enclosure. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province dyed two chow chow puppies black and white and promoted them as so-called “panda dogs.” <a href="https://t.co/Jo7q1dBzZJ">pic.twitter.com/Jo7q1dBzZJ</a></p> <p>— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) <a href="https://twitter.com/shanghaidaily/status/1786948655880290806?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>A staff member at the zoo, Liu Qiuming, told the local publication the panda scheme was used to attract more visitors and better their experience, as the zoo does not have any pandas of its own.</p> <p>The display has reportedly raised concerns of fraud but another staffer has insisted the zoo has not tricked or manipulated its visitors, given the direct translation of the exhibit. </p> <p>"This is just a new display we offer to visitors. We are not charging extra," a ticket seller told The Global Times.</p> <p>"The wording featuring Chow Chow dogs is correct and exactly describes what they are, so we are not cheating our visitors."</p> <p><em>Image credits: X (Twitter)</em></p>

International Travel

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Restaurant under fire for denying entry to war veteran with service dog

<p>A Perth restaurant has been slammed after denying entry to a US war veteran and his service dog.</p> <p>David Pearce and his English Labrador, Gunner, were denied entry to the Chinese restaurant Juice Bao Bao on May 19.</p> <p>Gunner is a certified service dog who assists Pearce through life as he suffers from PTSD, hearing loss and a brain injury.</p> <p>"I tried to explain he's a service dog and they have to allow us in and they said no service dogs, the owner doesn't want any dogs," Pearce said</p> <p>"It was embarrassing, [and] a bit humiliating.”</p> <p>Pearce sustained his injuries while serving in Iraq and Syria.</p> <p>He has served in the US military for nearly 20 years. He and Gunner have been “best buddies” for nine years.</p> <p>"He's saved my life a couple of times," Pearce said.</p> <p>Pearce has launched an official complaint to the Western Australian government following the ordeal.</p> <p>Juice Bao Bao manager Elaine Hsu took responsibility for the decision to refuse entry to Pearce.</p> <p>"That was my personal decision so that's my fault," she told 9News.</p> <p>"We want to sincerely apologise to him and we want to ask him to come here [for a] free meal.</p> <p>"[We will] make sure this [does] not happen again.”</p> <p>The restaurant has received a number of negative reviews since Pearce shared his story.</p> <p>"I'm not really interested in a free meal, although some dumplings would go down really nicely," Pearce said .</p> <p>"I'm just happy that they're changing their policy."</p> <p>Assistance and service dogs are legally allowed to enter any public venue if their certification is displayed on their vest and the owner can provide a service animal ID.</p> <p><em>Image credit: 9News / Nine</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Kevin Rudd sounds alarm over Chinese invasion

<p dir="ltr">Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has spoken out about the chance of Taiwan being invaded by China and detailed several ways Australia can avoid “sleepwalking into war”, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/former-pm-kevin-rudds-chilling-china-warning/news-story/feadbf7e68e90a4c3789a59802eb59af" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Appearing on ABC’s <em>7.30 </em>on Wednesday night, Mr Rudd said few in the West realised how much Chinese leader Xi Jinping wanted to gain control of Taiwan.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s right up there next to Xi Jinping’s desire for the party to remain in power and for him to be the predominant leader within the Communist Party of China,” he said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-374d4e77-7fff-21ab-e2d0-138f8ec508ae"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Rudd said there were only two things preventing China from invading Taiwan: questions of militaristic dominance and the risk of being slapped with similar sanctions to Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.</p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMrKRudd%2Fvideos%2F804940963809595%2F&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="429" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">“There has been a little too much excited commentary in the West about how China will seize on this strategic opportunity to move on Taiwan. I don’t think that’s the case,” Mr Rudd said.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the former PM did note that the dynamic could shift if the balance of both military and economic power “continues to change in China’s favour”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He added that an invasion of Taiwan would likely be amphibious, unlike Russia’s land-based “blitzkrieg” invasion of Ukraine, and that war game modelling conducted by the US suggests that China would come out on top by just a thin margin.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In most of the war gaming which has been done so far - and these are desktop exercises by and large - if you look at what various US officials have said off the record and partly reported in the American media, the Chinese at this stage win most of the time,” Mr Rudd said.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said recent events meant the situation was being watched very closely by all parties, and that a potential invasion would depend on what the Taiwanese and US does next.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Taiwanese, for the first time in a very long time, I think, are now readdressing their national defence idea needs and I think they will be looking very carefully at the fight which the Ukrainians have put up against Russia,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think it really does depend … on how much more the Taiwanese and the Americans do.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Rudd said Australia’s role should be to encourage the US and other allies towards deterring any invasion, and that working with allies in Japan, South Korea and India was crucial to avoid “sleepwalking into war”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5e2d1395-7fff-51cf-8223-dca3ce5c7818"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Kevin Rudd (Facebook)</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Tennis world reacts to disappearance of Chinese player

<p dir="ltr">Serena Williams has added her voice to the chorus of tennis stars concerned for the wellbeing of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who has been unreachable since accusing a powerful Chinese politician of assault.</p> <p dir="ltr">Two weeks ago, Shuai took to Weibo to accuse former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her into sex during their long-term relationship. The post was quickly deleted, and her social media profiles have been silent since. A<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/pressure-is-mounting-on-china-to-confirm-the-safety-of-star-player-peng-shuai-amid-fears-she-is-missing/news-story/7b23a3a14256165a82f41506af669f0f" target="_blank">bizarre email</a><span> </span>claiming to be from the star did little to quell fears, with many feeling it wasn’t actually from Shuai.</p> <p dir="ltr">The email reads, “Hello everyone this is Peng Shuai. Regarding the recent news released on the official website of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the content has not been confirmed or verified by myself and it was released without my consent.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m not missing, nor am I ­unsafe. I’ve just been resting at home and everything is fine. Thank you for caring about me. I hope to promote Chinese tennis with you all if I have the chance in the future. I hope Chinese tennis will become better and better.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Soon after, Tennis superstar Serena Williams posted her concerns about Shuai on Twitter. She wrote, “I am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, Peng Shuai. I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent. Sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time. #whereispengshuai”. The tweet was accompanied by a photo of the star with the hashtag #whereispengshuai over the top.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">I am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, Peng Shuai. I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent. Sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whereispengshuai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whereispengshuai</a> <a href="https://t.co/GZG3zLTSC6">pic.twitter.com/GZG3zLTSC6</a></p> — Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams/status/1461408866697105413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Others have shared the image, including the Women’s Tennis Association, coach Patrick Mouratoglou and stars including Benoit Paire, Julia Goerges and Maria Sakkari.</p> <p dir="ltr">On Friday, the International Tennis Writers’ Association released a statement in support of Peng.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Peng Shuai’s allegations are very serious, and she is very brave to have made them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We fully support the efforts of the WTA and other tennis bodies in calling for meaningful assurances that Peng Shuai is safe, and for the allegations she has made to be properly investigated, without censorship.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In the meantime, we wish Peng Shuai and her family and friends all the strength they need to get through this very stressful time.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Naomi Osaka posted a brief statement on Twitter, where she said she was in “shock” at the current situation. “Censorship is never OK at any cost, I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and OK. I’m in shock of the current situation and I’m sending love and light her way.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhereIsPengShuai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhereIsPengShuai</a> <a href="https://t.co/51qcyDtzLq">pic.twitter.com/51qcyDtzLq</a></p> — NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) <a href="https://twitter.com/naomiosaka/status/1460723353174433793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Novak Djokovic spoke to the press about Shuai’s disappearance following his ATP Tour Finals match against Casper Rudd, describing the situation as “terrible”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Honestly it’s shocking that she’s missing. More so that it’s someone that I’ve seen on the tour in previous years quite a few times.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s not much more to say than to hope that she’s OK and it’s just terrible … I can imagine how her family feels, you know, that she’s missing.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Zhong Zhi/Getty Images</em></p>

News

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Chinese defector has new theory on COVID origins

<p>A Chinese defector has suggested the COVID-19 pandemic began after the virus was potentially leaked amongst participants of the military games in Wuhan in October 2019, months before the deadly outbreak was confirmed by China.</p> <p>Defector and democracy campaigner Wei Jingsheng was speaking with Sky News journalist Sharri Markson for her new book <em>What Really Happened in Wuhan</em>.</p> <p>He said thousands of athletes from around the world came to Wuhan for the Military World Games in October and this was likely the first superspreader event.</p> <p>Jingsheng said: “I thought that the Chinese government would take this opportunity to spread the virus during the Military Games, as many foreigners would show up there,” he said.</p> <p>He claims he was aware of Chinese authorities experimenting with "strange biological weapons", a tip off from a government source, and tried to warn the US but was unsuccessful.</p> <p><strong>Many athletes from different countries reported sickness</strong></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8fddf3839bed4bb6be443112db24b245" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.2971342383107px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844291/wei-military-games-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8fddf3839bed4bb6be443112db24b245" /></p> <p>Multiple athletes from around the world later reported sickness and symptoms consistent with COVID-19.</p> <p>Last month the US's Republican Foreign Affairs Committee released a report claiming Beijing was rushing to cover up the virus's spread around the time of the military games.</p> <p>Republican Representative Michael McCaul said: "When they realised what happened, Chinese Communist Party officials and scientists at the WIV began frantically covering up the leak.”</p> <p>"But their coverup was too late — the virus was already spreading throughout the megacity of Wuhan," he added.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4f8f86d22ea94363be718fe6352928ca" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.1804008908686px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844293/wei-jingshang-lab-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4f8f86d22ea94363be718fe6352928ca" /></p> <p><strong>China suggests other countries are responsible for COVID</strong></p> <p>China has pointed to overseas, including Italy, France and the US, where it says the virus was detected long before it reported its first official cases in December 2019 but Jingsheng’s theory provides an explanation for such cases.</p> <p>The Communist Party of China has become angry over what it claims is a concerted effort from the West to smear China when it comes to the investigation of the origins of COVID.</p> <p>Beijing has suggested it was the US who imported the virus to Wuhan during the military games, calling for investigations into its Fort Detrick facility.</p> <p><strong>Former US president Donald Trump suggest the evidence points to a lab leak</strong></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/687e3da31a264cff9642b3b46f5b8426" /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.2018489984592px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844292/wei-trump-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/687e3da31a264cff9642b3b46f5b8426" /></p> <p>Former US president Donald Trump also spoke with Markson for her book and he claimed it’s “obvious” the virus had been leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.</p> <p>Trump made a point of saying he didn’t think the virus was “intentionally” spread but that it escaped via an accidental leak.</p> <p>“I don’t know if they had bad thoughts or whether it was gross incompetence, but one way or the other, it came out of Wuhan, and it came from the Wuhan lab,” Trump said.</p> <p>Trump added one indication was the early emergence of stories filtering into his office about body bags being piled up outside the lab.</p> <p>Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also talked with Markson and he said there was “enormous, albeit indirect, evidence that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was the centrepoint for this.”</p> <p>“The cumulative evidence that one can see points singularly to the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” he said.</p> <p>Pompeo added the US has intelligence three scientists at the lab fell ill two months before the first cases of COVID were officially reported in December 2019.</p> <p>Former US director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe says these scientists are now missing.</p> <p>Another claim that was delivered to Trump was that a lab worker left for lunch and met his girlfriend, infecting her with the virus.</p> <p><strong>WHO chief calls for more investigation of the lab leak theory</strong></p> <p>Initially criticised for his soft approach with China, World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus surprisingly questioned the findings of a joint mission into the origins of COVID earlier this year, calling for more to be done to investigate the lab leak theory.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images and Sky News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Major leak exposes nearly 2 million Chinese Communist Party members

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>A major leak of a register that contained the details of nearly two million Chinese Communist Party members has occurred, exposing members worldwide.</p> <p>Sharri Markson, Sky News host, said that the breach also lifts the lid on how the CCP operates under President and Chairman Xi Jinping.</p> <p>“It is believed to be the first leak of its kind in the world,” the Sky News host said.</p> <p>“What's amazing about this database is not just that it exposes people who are members of the communist party, and who are now living and working all over the world, from Australia to the US to the UK,” Ms Markson said.</p> <p>“But it's amazing because it lifts the lid on how the party operates under President and Chairman Xi Jinping”.</p> <p>The leak showed that CCP party branches are involved with some of the world's biggest companies and inside government agencies worldwide.</p> <p>“Communist party branches have been set up inside western companies, allowing the infiltration of those companies by CCP members - who, if called on, are answerable directly to the communist party, to the Chairman, the president himself,” she said.</p> <p>“Along with the personal identifying details of 1.95 million communist party members, mostly from Shanghai, there are also the details of 79,000 communist party branches, many of them inside companies”.</p> <p>The leak is a significant security breach likely to embarrass Xi Jinping.</p> <p>“It is also going to embarrass some global companies who appear to have no plan in place to protect their intellectual property from theft. From economic espionage,” she said.</p> <p>The data was extracted from Shanghai servers by Chinese dissidents and whistleblowers back in April 2016.</p> <p>“It was then leaked in mid-September to the newly-formed international bi-partisan group, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China - and that group is made up of 150 legislators around the world.</p> <p>“It was then provided to an international consortium of four media organisations, The Australian, The Sunday Mail in the UK, De Standaard in Belgium and a Swedish editor, to analyse over the past two months, and that's what we've done".</p> <p>Ms Markson said it, “is worth noting that there's no suggestion that these members have committed espionage - but the concern is over whether Australia or these companies knew of the CCP members and if so have any steps been taken to protect their data and people”.</p> </div> </div> </div>

News

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Chinese developer hits back at Whitsunday locals

<p>A Chinese developer accused of kicking Aussies off a beach in the Whitsundays has fired back, saying locals are “anti-development” and are “actively working to undermine progress”.</p> <p>According to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://news.com.au/" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>, wealthy developer China Bloom had become locked in a stand-off with land owners on Keswick Island, 30km from Mackay, after purchasing the head lease in 2019.</p> <p>The Hong Kong-based company has been accused of closing off beaches and putting fences up to prevent access to national parkland and banning short term accommodation and rentals.</p> <p>Locals had enough this week when a Christmas tree, which was decked out in ornaments for 12 years had been chopped down following reports of the feud in the media.</p> <p>The Queensland Government has been facing pressure to intervene after a member for Whitsundays, Amanda Camm released a statement, saying: “This is not Communist China, this is Australia. This is Queensland and this is the Whitsundays.”</p> <p>China Blooms finally issued a response after repeated requests for a statement.</p> <p>The company claims all national park areas are open and accessible and they are “implementing changes to the island’s operation to ensure compliance with the regulations set out in the headlease agreement”.</p> <p>China Bloom claims it is working to “increase visitation and access to the island for both tourists, current and future residents” but the work is being interfered with by a group of residents who it claims “have indicated they are anti-development for many years and are actively working to undermine the progress of any future development of the island”.</p> <p>The developer says it’s working to build houses, a hotel, a new boat ramp, a jetty and a boat marina and that “previous island management failed to manage operations to the standard required”.</p> <p>China Bloom has claimed that despite reports in the media, the developer is meeting “with sublessees on a regular basis, including providing monthly updates on the progress of works and other issues”.</p> <p>It says national parks are “open with unrestricted access” and that a locked gate “featured in media coverage is actually of a private track leading to a construction zone” and that “sub-lessees are able to easily walk around it”.</p> <p>But residents aren’t buying it, saying their statement is misleading.</p> <p>Rayna Asbury, who has owned a house on the island since 2005 is a member of the Keswick Island Progress Association spoke to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://news.com.au/" target="_blank">news.com.au</a><span> </span>on behalf of the residents on the island.</p> <p>She claims China Bloom is not being completely honest.</p> <p>On the issue of access to national parks, Ms Asbury claims “the famous locked gate is the only access from the island to the National Park lookout” and that “access is not unrestricted” as China Bloom suggests.</p> <p>According to Ms Asbury, almost 40 turtle nests were located earlier this year on Connie Bay in early 2020, and that China Bloom’s claim that none have been found for over a decade does not add up.</p> <p>“Turtles are common around the island and residents frequently see them swimming in the crystal waters of Basil Bay,” she said.</p> <p>China Bloom has claimed the beach where turtles used to nest was “not graded by the current developer”, but Ms Asbury has said that is a “blatant lie”.</p> <p>She revealed photos of machinery and turtle tracks were taken in November 2019 and the head lease was transferred to China Bloom in May that same year.</p> <p>Northern Beaches local Bed Lawson has organised a “peaceful protest” at Basil Bay for Australia Day.</p> <p>Her protest will include a “flotilla of boats” at the beach where the Queensland Government told news.com.au locals are not allowed to go “past the high tide line”.</p> <p>“I thought, being a boating community (Mackay), what better way to do that than get a flotilla of boats, let’s get out to Keswick Island,” she told 7 News.</p> <p>“China Bloom don’t have ownership below the high tide mark. So, technically, they can’t stop us getting on to the beach.”</p>

Travel Trouble

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Leaked list of 41 Aussie vineyards owned by Chinese firms

<p>Aussie wine lovers are being urged to steer clear of 41 Australian wineries after a viral list revealed that they were owned by Chinese companies.</p> <p>The list was shared on social media following Beijing's escalating feud with Australia, which has led to restrictions to be imposed on Australian industries.</p> <p>This includes the wine industry, which has been impacted with new import taxes of up to a shocking 212 per cent.</p> <p>Other industries impacted include timber, lamb, lobster and barley, with fears their tactics could spread to other sectors.</p> <p>The list was shared on the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/vinoeamigos" target="_blank">Vino e Amigos</a><span> </span>Facebook page and revealed that most of the Chinese-owned vineyards are in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, WA and NSW.</p> <p>The Facebook page has since been deleted.</p> <p>Some pointed out that the percentage of each winery owned by Chinese companies was not on the list and that wineries owned by Australian-Chinese people weren't to blame.</p> <p>Another pointed out some on the list were “run by Aussie workers though, and Aussie workers are still getting paid”, indicating a boycott may cause more harm than good.</p> <p>“No wonder some Aussies always say the govt is selling the country to China,” one person posted, while another added: “Aussie winemakers have been teaching the Chinese how to make wine for years. For what, to screw us over?”</p> <p>The unprecedented tariffs on Australian wine would destroy the sector which was already struggling due to bushfires.</p> <p>“The wine production industry generated revenue of $7 billion in 2019-20. Of that amount,$2.9 billion was generated from exports,” IBISWorld Senior Industry Analyst Matthew Reeves said.</p> <p>“China is the dominant market for Australian wines, accounting for 36.7% of export revenue last year.”</p> <p>“Australia’s premium wine exports will have an easier time finding new buyers outside of China, supporting bigger players in the industry. On the other hand, exports of cheaper wines will likely face significant difficulty in the coming months.”</p>

Food & Wine

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Beach protest planned after Chinese developer buys island

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>A fight in the Whitsundays has emerged between locals and a Chinese developer who owns Keswick Island, just 30kms from Mackay.</p> <p>Wealthy developer China Bloom has closed beaches, parts of the national park, the airstrip and has also banned short term accommodation and rentals on the island after signing a 96-year long lease for 117 hectares.</p> <p>There are plans for the island to be home to a tourist resort to accommodate 3,000 people.</p> <p>However, the small community that call Keswick Island home are fighting back after being banned from accessing large parts of public land.</p> <p>Northern Beaches local Deb Lawson is capitalising on the media attention after a viral article from <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/fight-over-pristine-whitsundays-beach-reaches-fever-pitch/news-story/c9afd2dfa76e36e46fc1def63d319101" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink"><em>news.com.au</em></a>. </p> <p>She has planned a “peaceful protest” at Basil Bay, where the Queensland Government told news.com.au locals are not allowed to go “past the high tide line”.</p> <p>Her protest, planned for Australia Day, will include “a flotilla of boats”.</p> <p>“I thought, being a boating community (Mackay), what better way to do that than get a flotilla of boats, let’s get out to Keswick Island.”</p> <p>“China Bloom don’t have ownership below the high tide mark,” she told 7 News. “So, technically, they can’t stop us getting on to the beach.”</p> <p>The member for Whitsundays, Amanda Camm, told reporters this week: “This is not Communist China, this is Australia. This is Queensland and this is the Whitsundays.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Outraged Mackay locals have organised a protest on Keswick Island, after claims a Chinese company was forcing residents out. <a href="https://t.co/b2rkakPwmk">https://t.co/b2rkakPwmk</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/laura_lavelle99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@laura_lavelle99</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7NEWS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7NEWS</a> <a href="https://t.co/hIlrKDOEBz">pic.twitter.com/hIlrKDOEBz</a></p> — 7NEWS Mackay (@7NewsMackay) <a href="https://twitter.com/7NewsMackay/status/1334775751476854786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>A Queensland Government spokesman said that the developer is being urged to do the right thing.</p> <p>“(We are) working with China Bloom to ensure all relevant activities are in accordance with the terms of the lease, particularly as China Bloom works to upgrade the island’s roads, boat ramps, jetties and marine infrastructure,” a Department of Resources spokesman said.</p> <p>Local Julie Willis is "gobsmacked" by the outcome.</p> <p>"I'm gobsmacked that it's happening in Australia."</p> <p>It all amounts to an end to an incredible burden on what was once a “vibrant community”, she said.</p> <p>“On the surface, it really looks like they don’t want the sublessees there. They have no responsibility to look after sublessees. It’s like they want it as a private island for Chinese tourists.</p> <p>“It’s a struggle. We’ve tried to come to the table with China Bloom. We’ve been given assurances by the State Government that our concerns have been taken on board but we feel like we’re not being listened to.”</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Pauline Hanson calls for full boycott on Chinese products this Christmas

<p>One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has once again called for a boycott on Chinese made products this Christmas, as relations between the two countries plunge to a new low.</p> <p>“You might think it’s awfully hard, yes it is hard, I get it,” Hanson said in a Facebook video on Monday night. “We all have our part to play in this. Think about it when you buy that furniture, that toy, that food, whatever you buy, have a look where it comes from, and if it’s China, let it sit on the shelf.”</p> <p>The Senator first proposed a boycott last week in response to “China’s recent economic attacks against Australia”, which included a 200 per cent tariff on Australian wine.</p> <p>On Monday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian took to Twitter to post an image showing an Australian soldier holding a bloodied knife to the throat of an Afghan child, referencing the allegations in the Brereton war crimes report.</p> <p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison blasted the image as “repugnant” and demanded an apology from the Chinese government.</p> <p>“It is deeply offensive to every Australian, every Australian who has served in that uniform, every Australian who serves in that uniform today,” he said at a press conference.</p> <p>In her Facebook video, Hanson said it “absolutely disgusts me”. “This is why I am so anti-China – they are a country that says they want to grow to a stage where they will control and that’s exactly what they’re doing,” she said.</p> <p>She said 20 per cent of products Australia imports “we can’t buy from anywhere else but China”. “Our shelves are full of Chinese products because we’ve stopped our manufacturing industry,” she said.</p> <p>“We used to produce 40 per cent of our products here in Australia through manufacturing. Guess what, it’s only 6 per cent now, because we have allowed this through consecutive governments, Liberal and Labor, to bring products into Australia from other countries which has destroyed our own manufacturing industries."</p> <p>Hanson pleaded with Aussies to try to avoid products made in China “in every little way”.</p> <p>“Whether it’s the wrapping paper – I know you can actually go and buy it online from an Australian manufacturing company here”.</p> <p>She argued that would “put pressure on the Australian government” to support local manufacturing. “That’s the only way we can get out of this bloody mess, if not we’re going to allow China dictate to us every step of the way what we do because we’ve become so reliant on them,” she said.</p>

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Scott Morrison's direct appeal to Chinese people

<p>Mr Morrison has appealed directly to millions of Chinese people on the social messaging app WeChat to defend Australia’s honour.</p> <p>It follows after a disturbing fake image showing a soldier preparing to kill a child was put out on Twitter by a government official. <span></span></p> <p>The Prime Minister insisted that the indecent image would not lessen Australia’s respect for the Chinese community living at home or abroad.</p> <p>“I am extremely proud of all Australians who pull a uniform on for Australia. I am proud of their service and of their dedication to keeping Australia and Australians safe. I am proud of their loyalty to our country and its values,” he said.</p> <p>“Where there are alleged events that have taken place that require action, well we have set up the honest and transparent processes for that to take place. That is what a free, democratic, liberal country does.</p> <p>“The post of a false image of an Australian soldier does not diminish our respect for and appreciation of our Chinese Australian community or indeed our friendship with the people of China.”</p> <p>Mr Morrison created a WeChat account in the lead up to the 2019 election.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839025/scott-morisson-we-chat-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c57cf68ef3f64b5298e4234f05b409a2" /></p> <p>The Prime Minister went to great lengths in his statement on Tuesday night, adding he had great respect for the Chinese community in Australia.</p> <p>“We acknowledge and greatly appreciate and value the contribution that generations of Chinese migrants have made to Australia,” he said.</p> <p>“Migrants from China have been arriving in Australia for more than two hundred years and Australians of Chinese background have added immensely to our nation.”</p> <p>He went on to praise the community for their adherence to COVID-19 rules and quarantining measures as Australians returned from Wuhan and other parts of China back in March and April of this year.</p> <p>“It was Chinese Australians in particular who provided one of the greatest defences to the COVID-19 pandemic we had in those early weeks,” he said.</p> <p>“They were the ones who first went into self-isolation, they were the ones who were returning from family visits to China and they were coming home and it was through their care, commitment and patience that actually Australia was protected in that first wave. Australians are very grateful for that.”</p> <p>The Chinese Embassy reacted with a blistering statement, accusing Mr Morrison of “overreacting” to the tweet.</p> <p>“We would like to further stress the following: The rage and roar of some Australian politicians and media is nothing but misreading of and over-reaction to Mr Zhao’s tweet,” the statement said.</p> <p>“The accusations made are simply to serve two purposes. One is to deflect public attention from the horrible atrocities by certain Australian soldiers. </p> <p>“The other is to blame China for the worsening of bilateral ties. There may be another attempt to stoke domestic nationalism.”</p> <p>China’s state-controlled media has urged Scott Morrison to “kneel down on the ground” and “slap himself in the face” over the alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.</p> <p>“Morrison should kneel down on the ground, slap himself in the face, and kowtow to apologise to Afghans – all these should be done in a live telecast,” the editor wrote.</p> <p>“No matter what harsh words people use on them for the murder, the Australian government should have accepted it. How dare they talk back and say they are offended!”</p>

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“Arrogant hypocrites”: Chinese media's new attack on Australia with disturbing cartoon

<p><span>China has continued its relentless criticism against Australia’s outrage with another shocking cartoon that was shared by Chinese state media.</span><br /><br /><span>The disturbing graphic shows a bloodied kangaroo which is portraying military murder.</span><br /><br /><span>The Chinese artist Fu Yu – known as Wuheqilin has spoken out about the disturbing graphic that first received fury from SCOMO.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839020/china-scott-morrison.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/66d372e9039d40d083478af50a07d98d" /><br /><br /><span>He spoke out about the original doctored image, posting a video from Beijing Capital International Airport where he advised Mr Morrison to “face reality”.</span><br /><br /><span>In his new column for the Global Times, he said: “I am the one who illustrated the cartoon that pissed off Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.</span><br /><br /><span>“It is totally hard to believe that a head of state like Morrison got totally bent out shape about my computer graphics work. I am flabbergasted that he even organised a press conference to fume about it.”</span><br /><br /><span>The artist said he created the image, which he labels a cartoon, on the night of November 22.</span><br /><br /><span>Earlier this week, the faked image was published to Twitter by China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian, who said he was “shocked by murder of Afghan civilians and prisoners by Australian soldiers”.</span><br /><br /><span>It has led to global outrage and criticism against Beijing.</span><br /><br /><span>“Morrison called my cartoon ‘fabricated’,” Wuheqilin wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>“Some overseas netizens claimed it was doctored. I’d like to tell them that their focus should not be on whether or not it is a real picture or an artistic creation. It is an incident embedded in a cartoon.”</span><br /><br /><span>The latest cartoon depicting a bloodied kangaroo in a suit with a bloodied knife next to it, was created by a different artist, Chen Xia.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839018/china-scott-morrison-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ed82bf76f9824324a9c8012c09e13291" /><br /><br /><span>The publication posted a series of tweets overnight about Australia, with one including a graphic listing Australia’s alleged war crimes.</span><br /><br /><span>The tweets have been simply flagged: “China state-affiliated media.”</span><br /><br /><span>In the latest Global Times piece defending Wuheqilin, writer Yu Luxu said: “A cartoon is cartoon. It is not a photo. So how can it be ‘faked’ as Morrison and some Australian outlets claim?</span><br /><br /><span>“Cartoon has characteristics that exaggerate some points with an emphasis on artistic expression and visual shock. This is very common around the world. This is far from fabricating facts. Still, Wuheqilin’s work is based on facts.”</span><br /><br /><span>The article went on to demand Mr Morrison and the Australian Government to “take full responsibility for the deteriorating relationship with China”.</span><br /><br /><span>It further claimed “Australia exaggerated and distorted Zhao’s comment and use of cartoon over the crime of Australian troops”, calling it “a false image”.</span><br /><br /><span>“The country that owes an apology is Australia – to China. And to Afghanistan first and foremost for slaughtering their innocent people.</span><br /><br /><span>“It should also apologise to the Chinese artist, whose work was groundlessly smeared as a ‘false image’.</span><br /><br /><span>“It needs to seriously reassess the damage done its own international optics caused by this double standard outburst regarding ‘freedom of speech’ and ‘human rights’.”</span></p>

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How the decline in Chinese tourists around the world has hit the luxury sector

<p>Large groups of Chinese visitors have become a pillar of the global tourism industry. Coronavirus has not only put paid to this enormous source of income for major cities and sights around the world, it is having a massive knock-on effect for the luxury goods business.</p> <p>For any tourist, buying souvenirs is a key part of the holiday experience. They might be trinkets such as key rings or fridge magnets, a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “I ❤ NY” or a Russian matryoshka doll. But a significant number of Chinese tourists prefer to spend large sums on luxury items, such as designer clothes and accessories, when they travel overseas.</p> <p>Roughly one-third of global spending on luxury goods was credited <a href="https://www.voguebusiness.com/consumers/chinese-consumers-luxury-purchases-growth-bain">to Chinese consumers in 2018</a>. Consultants at Bain predict this <a href="https://jingdaily.com/bain-company-chinese-consumers-will-make-up-half-of-global-luxury-purchases-by-2025/">to rise to 50% by 2025</a>. Before the coronavirus pandemic, nearly all of this £85 billion worth of spending (92%) was done <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/china/how%20young%20chinese%20consumers%20are%20reshaping%20global%20luxury/mckinsey-china-luxury-report-2019-how-young-chinese-consumers-are-reshaping-global-luxury.ashx">outside the Chinese mainland</a> .</p> <p>What’s more, most of this overseas shopping is done by women between the ages of 19 and 29, according to a 2018 survey of <a href="http://223.27.21.115/~allegiantmediaco/wp-content/uploads/Documents/CN-Travel-Shopper-White-Paper-Final.pdf">over 750 million Chinese people</a>. From our interviews <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/TR-08-2019-0335/full/html">with many of these women</a>, it seems clear that as the Chinese economy recovers from coronavirus they will return to spending. Where they are able to travel and spend will have a big impact on economic recoveries from the pandemic.</p> <p><strong>The awakened generation</strong></p> <p>In China, demographic cohorts are defined by decades. Rather than millennials or generation Z, in China it is the post-90s generation (those born in the 1990s) that have become the core driver of growth for many industries, including luxury, leisure and travel retail.</p> <p>China’s post-90s generation are the direct beneficiaries of the country’s economic reform that began in the 1980s, which opened up the Chinese market to the rest of the world and spurred enormous economic growth through the 1990s to today. Girls, in particular, benefited from growing up at a time when China was more connected with the rest of the world and experienced significant cultural changes, including a decline in the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10834-011-9277-9">historic preference for sons</a>. The one-child policy played a part in this, too.</p> <p>Compared with previous generations, which are more family-centred and self-effacing, post-90s Chinese women are self-confident, independent and well-educated. They are also keen to express themselves through consumerism. This was evident in the conversations we had with high-spending young women. For them, buying luxury goods was a key part of their identity and self-expression. When travelling, it was one of the most important parts of their holiday, if not the actual purpose for their trip.</p> <p>Around the world, people buy and display luxury goods – from fancy cars to expensive watches and handbags – as status symbols. This is especially the case for the post-90s Chinese woman who seeks to distinguish herself from others in various ways. Vivian*, who’s 30, has a master’s degree and works in finance, told us:</p> <p><em>Buying luxury branded products is very personal. It’s my handbag. I do not want to look like everyone else.</em></p> <p>Travelling further afield to Europe is a way to buy luxury goods that distinguish themselves from their peers, as different designs are available to those in China. As well as the premium shopping experience, the people we spoke to repeatedly talked about the importance of having unique items. Ava, a 23-year-old student, said:</p> <p><em>Those special designs somehow are much more beautiful than those basic items that are available everywhere [in China]. They also reflect my lifestyle as a well-travelled person. When I carry it around, people know I am special.</em></p> <p>We also found that for the post-90s Chinese woman who travels abroad, buying designer items in the country where they originated from was seen as part of the authentic experience. As Emma, who is 23 and works in fashion, put it:</p> <p><em>Buying handbags in Paris makes me feel like a French lady. It’s a fun and authentic experience. It is a very different experience to purchasing them in Shenzhen.</em></p> <p><strong>‘Revenge spending’</strong></p> <p>The coronavirus pandemic has not reduced this appetite among China’s wealthy post-90s generation to travel and spend. A survey from <a href="https://blog.globalwebindex.com/chart-of-the-week/coronavirus-reshaping-the-luxury-market/">April this year found</a> that almost 60% of this group who had delayed their purchase plans would return to spending once the outbreak was over in China. And a number of luxury businesses reported a <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/11/business/global-luxury-sales-china-coronavirus-intl-hnk/index.html">big rise in spending</a> following the easing of lockdown restrictions in China, including jewellery brand Tiffany and fashion house Burberry.</p> <p>While overseas travel restrictions will significantly reduce the outbound tourist market for the time being, many brands will be hoping for a similar bout of so-called <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/13/revenge-spending-by-the-rich-could-drive-luxury-recovery.html">“revenge spending”</a>, as people make up for the time spent cooped up in lockdown.</p> <p>Having been the first to be hit by coronavirus, China is the first major economy to show a recovery. And as the world’s largest (and still growing) source of travellers and luxury shoppers, China will be the engine of the post-pandemic recovery for both these sectors. Both should be aware of what motivates this younger generation to spend in order to tap into it. Growing tension between the west and China, along with struggles to contain the pandemic in the west, may see other Asian countries as the first to benefit from outbound Chinese tourists.</p> <p>*<em>Names have been changed.</em></p> <p><em>Written by Misha Ketchell</em><em>. This article first appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-decline-in-chinese-tourists-around-the-world-has-hit-the-luxury-sector-145267">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

International Travel

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Chinese whistleblower claims she has proof COVID-19 came from Wuhan lab

<p>A Chinese virologist has made claims that COVID-19 was manufactured in a laboratory and did not come from “nature” like the Chinese government is claiming.</p> <p>Doctor Li-Meng Yan, a scientist who conducted some of the earliest research on COVID-19, joined the British talk show <em>Loose Women </em>to share her claims.</p> <p>She says that reports the virus came from a wet market are a “smokescreen”.</p> <p>“It comes from the lab, the lab in Wuhan and the lab is controlled by China’s government,” she said.</p> <p>She says her source are “local doctors”.</p> <p>“The first thing is the market in Wuhan ... is a smokescreen.</p> <p>“This virus is not from nature.”</p> <p>Yan earlier claimed she was told to keep a secret about the possibility of human-to-human transmission of COVID-19 back in December.</p> <p>She went on to say that former supervisors at the Hong Kong School of Public Health silenced her when she tried to sound the alarm.</p> <p>She fled Hong Kong for America in April.</p> <p>Dr Yan’s next plan is to release genomic sequencing that she says will trace the virus back to a lab.</p> <p>“The genome sequence is like a human fingerprint,” she said.</p> <p>“So based on this you can identify these things. I use the evidence … to tell people why this has come from the lab in China, why they are the only ones who made it.”</p> <p>China has repeatedly said that COVID-19 may not have originated in Asia at all.</p> <p>In July, the country pointed its finger at Spain, claiming that wastewater testing there found traces of the virus in March 2019.</p>

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Australian journalist held in Chinese detention with no near end date in sight

<p><span>Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has said that the reasons behind detaining high-profile Australian journalist Cheng Lei in Beijing have not been made clear by Chinese authorities.</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Birmingham told </span><em>Today</em><span> that the Federal Government is offering consular support to Cheng and her family.</span><br /><br /><span>"We are doing everything we can in providing her and her family with assistance through what is no doubt a difficult time for them,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>Mr Birmingham confirmed the Federal Government had been made formally aware of her being in detention by authorities on August 14.</span><br /><br /><span>However they have not revealed why the television anchor with Chinese state-run channel CGTN was being held.</span><br /><br /><span>"But we will continue to work to ensure that the right assistance is provided to give her and her family every support," Mr Birmingham said.</span><br /><br /><span>Australian consular officials spoke with Cheng at the detention facility via video link last Thursday.</span><br /><br /><span>The detention is likely to further the strain on the already fraught relationship between Canberra and Beijing.</span><br /><br /><span>The communist state is now investigating Australian wine makers over what it calls fair trading practices.</span><br /><br /><span>However Mr Birmingham has said that Australia's values "are not for sale".</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837611/daily-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0dba36f7df504e8c80344f28ddf1f719" /></p> <p><em>Trade Minister Simon Birmingham</em><br /><br /><span>"Our government has been very clear that our values are not for sale. We will always defend our interests and Australia's security interests in particular."</span><br /><br /><span>He said Australia desired to have a "constructive relationship" with China.</span><br /><br /><span>"We have different systems of government. We bring different approaches to those systems of government but we respect their sovereignty and we simply ask for that to be reciprocated."</span><br /><br /><span>Cheng has not been charged with any crime but is under "residential surveillance at a designated location" in Beijing, the <em>ABC</em> has reported.</span><br /><br /><span>Residential surveillance is essentially detention without legal access.</span><br /><br /><span>It can last up to six months before a suspect is formally arrested or charged.</span><br /><br /><span>"We ask that you respect that process and understand there will be no further comment at this time,” authorities have stated.</span><br /><br /><span>Cheng has been working with <em>CGTN</em> since 2012.</span><br /><br /><span>She has reported on Asian affairs in China since 2002.</span><br /><br /><span>She has reported major Chinese events including Beijing's 2008 Olympics and Shanghai's 2010 World Expo.</span></p>

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Labor MP suspended after ASIO raid and suspected links to Chinese Communist Party

<p>Australian Federal Police and spy agency ASIO have raided the Sydney home of a NSW Labor MP amid allegations of a Chinese government plot to influence a serving politician.</p> <p>The Rockdale house belonging to NSW upper house Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane was searched on Friday amid questions about his links to China.</p> <p>ASIO is focusing on whether Chinese government agents were aiming to influence Australian politics through Moselmane, the <em><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nsw-mp-s-sydney-home-raided-as-asio-probes-china-links-20200626-p556f6.html">Sydney Morning Herald</a></em> reported.</p> <p>NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay said she had been told police and ASIO members had a warrant to search Moselmane’s parliamentary office.</p> <p>Moselmane’s membership of NSW Labor will be suspended and he will no longer sit in the Labor parliamentary caucus, McKay said.</p> <p>“There’s an expectation on MPs that, whatever they do, it’s in the best interests of the people of the state,” McKay said.</p> <p>“I’d hope every single MP in the parliament – not just on the Labor side but the Liberal and National Party side and crossbench – has that at the heart of their actions.</p> <p>“I’m very restricted in what I can and can’t say.”</p> <p>In April, Moselmane resigned as assistant president of the Legislative Council after repeatedly praising Chinese President Xi Jinping’s response to the coronavirus crisis.</p> <p>“For the People’s Republic of China, President Xi stepped up and provided that leadership. He mustered the resources of the nation and together with the great people of China – fought it and contained it,” Moselmane wrote on his personal website.</p> <p>He had taken nine privately funded trips to China since entering the NSW parliament in 2009, the <em>Sydney Morning Herald </em>reported. Disclosure records showed his transport and hospitality costs were often covered by Chinese government officials or agencies.</p>

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