Australia’s last two accredited journalists in mainland China flee as diplomatic relations worsen
- The ABC’s Beijing correspondent Bill Birtles and The Australian Financial Review’s Shanghai correspondent Michael Smith left China on Monday night
- This came after Chinese police demanded interviews with them, and weeks after Chinese-born Australian journalist Cheng Lei was detained in Beijing
“The Australian government has provided consular support to two Australian journalists in China to assist their return,” Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement on Tuesday. “Our embassy in Beijing and consulate-general in Shanghai engaged with Chinese government authorities to ensure their well-being and return.”
The journalists were the last accredited reporters for Australian media based in mainland China. Bill Birtles, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Beijing correspondent, and Michael Smith, The Australian Financial Review’s Shanghai correspondent, were rushed out of the country after police demanded interviews with them, the ABC reported.
There are still other Australian citizens working as journalists in China for American, British and other media companies.
