Thread by @Sophiemcneill

🙄And what happens to Chinese or Hong Kong citizens who advocate for a different system, Ambassador? #PressClub

https://twitter.com/fryan/status/1557197761878974464

Thanks you @annajhenderson & @SBSNews for asking the Ambassador about the imprisoned Australian journalist Cheng Lei who has now not seen her two small children for two years

The Ambassador did not make specific comment on Cheng Lei's case, but claimed the rights of detained Australians in China are "well protected" - which absolutely is not what the evidence shows.

See this from January 2022 - Australian writer & democracy activist Dr Yang Hengjun has now spent three years detained in China & has reported that they "treat me like dirt here and they tortured me”theguardian.com/world/2022/jan…

Fantastic effort @bennpackham & terrifying answers from the Ambassador who said whats happening in Xinjiang is normal (at @hrw we've decided it amounts to crimes against humanity)

Alarmingly he also referred to some kind of "process" for Taiwanese who need to learn about China?

Great to see more follow up questions re Cheng Lei, taking the Ambassador to account for his ridiculous claim that her rights "are protected"

Thank you @PressClubAust members for standing up for your jailed colleague 🙏🏼

Of course @stephendziedzic has the exact quote

https://twitter.com/stephendziedzic/status/1557205967833821186?s=20&t=1Eg9s3V8jMyeBHR7kKh3HA

When pressed about press freedom in China, the Ambassador just doesn't get the question! Despite @domgiannini_'s best efforts.

A good reminder that @RSF_inter calls China the world's 'biggest captor of journalists’ with 127 detained washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/…