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I'm starting a fresh feed covering @dfat #estimates this afternoon. Looks like there will be a sharp focus on China. Liberal Senator @SenatorAbetz asks about the Nice tribunal which found the Chinese government is harvesting the organs of some detainees 1/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/17/china-is-harvesting-organs-from-detainees-uk-tribunal-concludes
Senior @dfat officials say they are "not in a position to make an assessment of specific claims" in the report but they agree the allegations are "concerning" 2/
Now @SenatorAbetz notes that China's Premier recently dropped the word "peaceful" while referring to Beijing’s desire to "reunify” with Taiwan. Adamson agrees it was a notable omission and says Australia was "concerned" by the shift in language 3/
Now some *very* fine distinctions being drawn on @dfat travel advice on the risk of arbitrary arrest in China. Senior officials do not agree that the security environment has "deteriorated" for Australians in China but agree it is "more negative" than it was before 4/
Now @Senator_Patrick asks if there is a risk of more Australians being arrested on "trumped up charges" in China. Unsurprisingly, officials are very, very careful with their language here. They again simply refer to the travel advice. 5/
Senator Patrick now asks about Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who's been detained on suspicion of endangering national security." Details are very sparse. Officials confirm she's being held by the Ministry of State Security in Beijing 6/ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-30/australian-officials-access-journalist-cheng-lei-detained-china/12717358
Officials say they raise Cheng Lei's arrest whenever they meet with Chinese officials. But China has provided almost no information. @dfat does not know exactly what allegations have been made against her. The only information they seem to have is China's public statement 7/
How about the writer Yang Hengjun? Again, there's almost no information available. It's a black box. Officials confirm he's been charged with espionage. What other details have been provided by China? None. Officials are still "seeking information" 8/ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-25/treatment-of-yang-hengjun-detained-in-china-unacceptable/12089804
The Foreign Minister @MarisePayne points out she recently made a forceful (my word, not hers) statement on Dr Yang Hengjun, saying his treatment "falls short of basic standards of justice and procedural fairness" 9/ https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/statement-dr-yang-hengjun
OK we've now moved back to stranded Australians. @SenatorWong asks if it's true @dfat staff have advised some Australians overseas to set up GoFundMe pages or go to homeless shelters. Officials say they have provided list of organisations which may help, including shelters 10/
Adamson and Payne both say consular officials are grappling with extraordinary circumstances during the pandemic. Adamson: "if you are homeless and have nowhere else to go ... a list of homeless shelters is actually quite a practical thing to have" 11/
Wong: So how many Australians will we get home by Christmas?
@dfat official: It depends on a range of contingencies
Wong: You can't give me an indication?
Official: I don't want to speculate ...
Wong: <exhales>
12/
@dfat official: It depends on a range of contingencies
Wong: You can't give me an indication?
Official: I don't want to speculate ...
Wong: <exhales>
12/
Now @SenatorWong asks @dfat about Tony Sheehan's warning to staff that the Department's budget was under "significant pressure" 13/ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-15/dfat-to-slash-60-positions/12459452
The Secretary says DFAT's budget position has improved. She says @dfat received an infusion of cash in the last budget and has cut costs. She says the Dept is making "good progress" trying to balance the budget 14/
Now Taiwan. Rex Patrick asks if there is a risk of a cross-Strait crisis. Adamson is quite frank here: "it's certainly something I'd be more concerned about this year than a year ago, and possibly in fact for any time over the last three and a half decades" 15/
If China were to attack US forces across the Taiwan Strait, would Australia be obliged to fight under ANZUS? Adamson- "it would ultimately be a decision for the Government of the day. I hope they never have to make it" (no disagreement on that around the table) 16/
Right. Now @SenatorWong asks @MarisePayne and @dfat about Warwick Smith's resignation from the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations. He described the foundation's start as "tortured and unspectacular" 17/ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-04/china-australia-relations-foundation-conflicts-of-interest/12518624
Adamson says the criticisms made in March "certainly don't apply now" and the foundation is doing excellent work 18/
OK here we go. Brass tacks. Adamson says Australia's relationship with China is under "considerable strain." Differences "go deeper than before." But she says dozens of other countries are also facing difficulties with China - "this is one of the big challenges of our age" 19/
But Adamson adds that it's important not to "give up" on cooperation with China. She says if we can manage our differences then both countries can do "important work together." @SenatorWong says "not engaging is not an option." Adamson agrees. 20/
Now @SenatorWong asks @MarisePayne and Adamson about the controversy surrounding the way @SenatorAbetz grilled three witnesses earlier this month. Was it appropriate to ask them to condemn the CCP? 21/ https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-22/senator-abetz-questions-about-loyalties-rattle-chinese-community/12797638
It's getting a bit more tense now. @SenatorAbetz responds to Wong. He says he did not ask other Chinese Australians who appeared at the committee to denounce the CCP, and he rejects any suggestion he was asking the witnesses to take a "loyalty test" based on race 22/
Labor Senator Tim Ayres @ayrestim says Abetz should "reflect deeply" on what happened on that committee. But @Senator_CFW says the Chinese Australian diaspora faces significant intimidation from the CCP and it's crucial not to look past that fact 23/
On it goes. @SenatorWong to @MarisePayne- "why will you not be clear this was the wrong thing to do?" Payne repeats her statement. She doesn't criticise Abetz but again says that she believes the oath of citizenship is the only pledge Australians should have to make 24/
Abetz- "I categorically deny this question was asked on the basis of race." Now Adamson is drawn in. She speaks very carefully: "every word we say in an open society is taken and used against us, regrettably at the moment, in Beijing and twisted against us for propaganda" 25/
Now @SenatorWong asks @MarisePayne about the anti-China website set up by Queensland MP George Christensen. Payne: "I will defend to my last second the values of democracy and free speech in this place. She says backbench contributions on China are "both a bonus and a burden" 26/
OK I'm wrapping up this feed. Thanks for all those who followed along or messaged to ask questions. @dfat will be back again tonight and tomorrow. 27/
