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John Power

Australia is making “very strong representations” on behalf of a Chinese-Australian writer detained by China on suspicion of espionage but must respect the country’s legal process, former foreign minister Julie Bishop said on Friday.
Bishop, who resigned from her post last August, said there was no evidence linking the detention of Yang Hengjun to Canada’s arrest of Huawei’s chief financial officer, echoing a point made by Defence Minister Christopher Pyne on Monday.
The detention of Yang, a novelist and ex-diplomat, has fuelled speculation that Beijing has widened a campaign of retaliation against Canada for arresting Meng Wanzhou to include friendly countries such as Australia.
Meng was arrested in December at the request of the United States, which has accused her of conspiring to violate sanctions against Iran.

Yang is being held by the Ministry of State Security. He went missing soon after he arrived in Guangzhou in southern China in the middle of January.
Bishop, who was foreign minister for five years, said: “Of course we have to respect the legal processes of other countries, and as far as I am aware, no charges have been laid.”
While describing China and Australia as “friends”, Bishop acknowledged that the two countries were “still learning to manage our differences”.
“I spent a lot of time with my foreign minister counterpart, Wang Yi, and we get along just fine,” she said, after giving a speech at an Australian Chamber of Commerce event in Hong Kong.
“However, China respects strength, it does not respect weakness, and Australia must always stand up for its values and stand up for well-considered foreign policy. That doesn’t always please China and they make their displeasure known in various ways.”

Later, Bishop expressed optimism about Beijing and Washington being able to resolve their differences on trade, warning that “nobody wins” in a prolonged trade war.
“The president’s words have been most encouraging and for some time, I have stated publicly it is my hope that while the negotiations have been fraught with conflict, that at the end of the day, there will be a positive deal,” she said, referring to recent statements by US President Donald Trump.
“Indeed, I hope it manifests in a US-China free trade agreement, and that would be good for the global economy.”
Beijing causing anxiety in South China Sea: Australian defence minister Christopher Pyne
China said on Friday it had made “important progress” towards resolving the impasse on trade after finishing up two days of talks with the US side in Washington.
Asked by the Post if Australia should join the US in conducting so-called freedom of navigation patrols within 12 miles of man-made islands in the South China Sea, Bishop was non-committal.
Canberra carries out air and sea patrols in the disputed waters, but has not followed its ally in challenging Beijing’s territorial claims by sailing close to the structures.

“I don’t comment on specific Australian Defence Force operations, but I can make the point that Australia has been involved in what we call freedom of navigation exercises for many years,” she said.
“We traverse the South China Sea, we uphold the right, the international right, of freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight. How each country adopts freedom of navigation is up to that nation.”
During her speech, Bishop said she expected a recently concluded free trade pact between Australia and Hong Kong to be signed within weeks, and this would send a message that both were committed to “free and open liberalised trade”.
China offers olive branch to Australian defence minister Christopher Pyne
Bishop said that Hong Kong was the “quintessential global trading hub” and a “timeless” idea that should be cherished and preserved.
“The idea of Hong Kong is to be treasured, to be promoted, defended, protected within the ‘one country, two systems’ concept,” she said, referring to Beijing’s policy of governing the city.


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China-Australia relations

Australia lobbying hard for Yang Hengjun but must respect China’s legal process: ex-minister Julie Bishop

FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2018, file photo, Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou arrives at a parole office with a security guard in Vancouver, British Columbia. China on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019, demanded the U.S. drop a request that Canada extradite the top executive of the tech giant Huawei, shifting blame to Washington in a case that has severely damaged Beijing's relations with Ottawa. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

(180804) -- SINGAPORE, Aug. 4, 2018 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers' meeting and related meetings in Singapore, Aug. 4, 2018.(Xinhua/Then Chih Wey)

Yang Hengjun, author and former Chinese diplomat, who is now an Australian citizen, gestures in an unspecified location in Tibet, China, sometime in mid-July, 2014 in this social media image obtained by REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. THIS PICTURE WAS PROCESSED BY REUTERS TO ENHANCE QUALITY. AN UNPROCESSED VERSION HAS BEEN PROVIDED SEPARATELY.

Former Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Julie Bishop MP, speaks at the Australia Day Luncheon in the Island Shangri-La Hong Kong on Friday. Photo: The Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong

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Do Australia, New Zealand academics fear travelling to China after Yang Hengjun’s arrest?

Yang, an Australian citizen and former Chinese diplomat who has criticised Beijing for censorship and overseas interference, has been held on the mainland since January 19. Photo: Reuters

Autralian Minister of Defence and Industry Christopher Pyne delivers a speech during the presentation of the collaboration between Australia and DCNS, a French industrial group specialised in naval defence and energy,on December 14, 2016 in Cherbourg-Octeville, northwestern France. / AFP PHOTO / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU

Photo: Alamy

Beijing causing anxiety in South China Sea: Australian defence minister Christopher Pyne

Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne delivers his keynote address during the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Fullerton Forum in Singapore. Photo: AP

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She says while both countries are friends, they are still learning to manage their differences


Former foreign minister says Australia must respect China’s legal process, and while both are friends, they are still learning to manage their differences


Australia

Meng Wanzhou

Huawei Technologies

South China Sea

Australia lobbying hard for Yang Hengjun but must respect China’s legal process: ex-minister Julie Bishop

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}She says while both countries are friends, they are still learning to manage their differences

She says while both countries are friends, they are still learning to manage their differences