Australian MP who compared China’s rise to Nazi Germany’s ‘not welcome’ in Beijing
- MP Andrew Hastie and Senator James Paterson will no longer go on a study tour of the country after hearing they are “not welcome at this time”
- Snub comes amid fears about Chinese meddling in Australia
Two members of the Australian parliament known for their criticism of Beijing will no longer make a scheduled trip to the Chinese capital after the government said they were unwelcome, according to the head of a Sydney-based policy institute.
Alistair Nicholas, the CEO of China Matters, said an official of the Chinese embassy in Canberra told him House of Representatives member Andrew Hastie and Senator James Paterson – two of three legislators set to go on a study tour to Beijing – were “not welcome at this time”.
The politicians had not begun formal visa applications and there was no suggestion of concerns about the third legislator, House of Representatives member Matt Keogh of the opposition Labor Party.
In a statement on Friday, China Matters said it had postponed its third study tour, scheduled for December 9 to 11, after learning of Beijing’s decision.
“We regret the decision of the government of the People’s Republic of China, conveyed to China Matters via the PRC Embassy in Canberra, that at this time Mr Hastie and Senator Paterson are not welcome on a China Matters study tour to Beijing,” the non-profit organisation said in a statement.
