Australia’s top diplomat offers support to Hong Kong protesters, wants ‘rights and freedoms upheld’
- Foreign Minister Marise Payne’s comments risk further straining relations with Beijing, after the arrest of Chinese-Australian author Yang Hengjun on suspicion of espionage
- Hong Kong is home to about 100,000 Australian expats and Australia’s biggest commercial presence in Asia, with some 600 businesses
“We call urgently for restraint from violence and for renewed efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution through dialogue,” Payne told The Australian newspaper.
Responding to concerns the unrest could provoke intervention by Beijing, Payne said Hong Kong authorities should handle the crisis “responsibly and proportionately”.
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“It is important that the rights and freedoms set out in Hong Kong’s Basic Law and the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration are upheld,” Payne said. “Respect for the rights and responsibilities of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, including the rule of law and freedom of assembly, is fundamental to Hong Kong’s success.”
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Hong Kong is home to about 100,000 Australian expats and Australia’s biggest commercial presence in Asia, with some 600 businesses.
In June, Payne said Australia had raised concerns about the extradition proposals and supported the “right of people to protest peacefully”.
John Blaxland, a professor at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at Australian National University in Canberra, said Payne’s comments reflected growing fears in Australia about the possibility of a heavy-handed crackdown by Beijing.
“Payne will be keen to avoid unduly damaging trade ties, but appears focused on sending a strong message in the hope of preventing the situation further driving a wedge that may harden Australian attitudes towards China.”
Hong Chen, director of the Australian Studies Centre at the East China Normal University in Shanghai, said Australia should be more “prudent” and “responsible” when commenting on the domestic affairs of other countries.
“We deplore her remarks which blatantly interfere with China’s internal affairs,” Chen said. “It is ludicrous that Australia, which has been baselessly accusing China of interfering and influencing its politics, is now making such remarks about Hong Kong, which is an integral part of China.”