The Australian foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has told her visiting Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, that Australians are “shocked” at the suspended death sentence imposed on the writer Dr Yang Hengjun.
Wong raised the Australian citizen’s case – along with human rights more broadly – during a meeting that was largely aimed at stabilising the previously turbulent relationship with Australia’s largest trading partner.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Wong raised the Australian citizen’s case – along with human rights more broadly – during a meeting that was largely aimed at stabilising the previously turbulent relationship with Australia’s largest trading partner.
Acknowledging “important differences” between the two countries that would have to be navigated “wisely”, Wong said Anthony Albanese looked forward to welcoming the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, to visit Australia later this year.
Pointedly, however, Wong told the visiting minister that she would speak frankly about “Australians detained in China, human rights, maritime security and safety, and regional and international issues such as the Pacific, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East”.
“As foreign minister, I have emphasised that it is in all of our interests to commit to preventive architecture to reduce the risk of conflict and that communication never be withheld as punishment or offered as a reward,” Wong said at the start of the meeting at Parliament House on Wednesday.
The Australian government hopes the Chinese commerce ministry will remove punishingly high tariffs on wine by the end of March, in line with an interim decision last week.
“Our community acknowledges the foreign minister has met us and heard us, but in some ways that deepens the disappointment and the insult that we feel in the government rolling out the red carpet for Wang Yi,” he said.
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