/qresearch/ -  Q Research

#36 - Part 82

Australia / China Tensions - Part 6

>>20959239 AFP stopped allowing Chinese police to operate in Australia over foreign interference concerns, Senate hearing told - The Australian Federal Police has told a parliamentary hearing it halted a years-long policy of allowing Chinese police to come and operate in Australia, following a 2019 incident exposed by the ABC's Four Corners program. AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney told the hearing that the 2019 case was "a turning point", and that the policy was ended due to the agency's greater awareness of foreign interference threats. "2019-2020 was a pivotal moment in terms of our relationship," Deputy Commissioner McCartney later said, adding that the decision to stop the Chinese police visits was due to the growth of foreign interference. "We made a conscious decision in executive that we weren't going to apply that guidance again," he said. The AFP were questioned following revelations in a Four Corners episode last month that the federal police had allowed Chinese officers to come to Australia, and those officers then escorted a 59-year-old female Australian resident back to China. The visit occurred under protocols and guidelines established by the AFP after a 2014 incident when Chinese police officers slipped into Australia unannounced in an attempt to convince a Melbourne bus driver to return to China. The guidelines state that officers of China's national policing and security agency, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), could only come to Australia if the matter being investigated was serious, the suspect was not an Australian citizen, and they were willing to engage with MPS officers. Four Corners reported the MPS officers breached agreed protocol during the 2019 visit that led the AFP to reassess their agreement with the MPS about police visits.

>>20964535 Foreign Minister Penny Wong demands end to suppression of freedoms in China on 35th anniversary of Tiananmen Square massacre - Foreign Minister Penny Wong has commemorated the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre and urged China to “cease suppression of freedoms”. On June 4, 1989, after seven weeks of protests against corruption, inflation and authoritarianism, Tiananmen Square hosted one of the darkest days of China’s history. The Chinese Communist Party declared martial law and deployed troops to the square, where hundreds, maybe thousands, of people were killed. The number of students who died has not been confirmed but estimates have ranged from several hundred to more than 10,000. Ms Wong observed the 35th anniversary of the “tragic events” on Tuesday and recalled “the use of brutal force against student protesters in Beijing”. “We remember the tragic events and loss of life on 4 June 1989, along with the international community,” Ms Wong said. “As we have consistently said, Australia remains concerned about ongoing restrictions on freedom of association, expression and political participation in China. “We call on China to cease suppression of freedoms of expression, assembly, media and civil society and to release those detained for peacefully expressing their political views.”

>>20976344 US, 'Five Eyes' allies warn China recruiting Western military trainers - The U.S. and other "Five Eyes" countries on Wednesday warned that China has been circumventing measures aimed at halting its recruitment of current and former Western military pilots and other personnel to train the Chinese military. "Western recruits who train the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) may increase the risk of future conflict by reducing our deterrence capabilities," said a public bulletin issued by the U.S., British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand intelligence services. The notice is the latest warning by the English-speaking "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing alliance about rising concerns with Chinese government-directed espionage, cyber hacking and intellectual property theft as Beijing's growing might has roiled relations with Washington and its allies. The PLA is using private companies in South Africa and China to hire former fighter pilots, flight engineers and air operations center personnel from Western countries to train its Air Force and Navy aviators, the services said in the notice. "The PLA wants the skills and expertise of these individuals to make its own military air operations more capable while gaining insight into Western air tactics, techniques, and procedures," the notice said. It said the efforts represented a "persistent, adaptive threat," with the insight gleaned by the PLA a threat to "U.S. and allied security." In one high-profile case, former U.S. Marine pilot Daniel Duggan is fighting extradition from Australia on U.S. charges of training Chinese military pilots through a South African flight school in how to land on aircraft carriers.

#36 - Part 83

Australia / China Tensions - Part 7

>>20983635 War over Taiwan would change world, says Australia ambassador to US Kevin Rudd - Australia's ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, cautioned in a speech that the global consequences of a war over Taiwan would be as great as the impact of the Second World War, making the world "a radically different place". If Chinese President Xi Jinping, who turns 71 this month, wanted to achieve "final national unification" with Taiwan he would likely act in the next decade before he reaches his 80s, Rudd said in a speech in Honolulu on Thursday. "We would be foolish to ignore the increasing clarity of China's military signalling, including the pattern of its most recent military exercises," said Rudd, who was twice Australia's prime minister in the previous decade.

>>20998413 Top US general Stephen Sklenka says an Asia-Pacific NATO would help him sleep at night - A top Chinese general recently accused the United States of a hidden agenda to create a version of NATO in the Asia-Pacific, and now a senior American officer has welcomed the idea. As the number of Asia-Pacific security arrangements has been increasing year by year, China’s Lieutenant General Jing Jianfeng told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore this month: “The true motive of the US is to converge small circles into a big circle, that is an Asian-Pacific version of NATO, to maintain the US-led hegemony.” Jiang, deputy chief of China’s Joint Staff Department at the Central Military Commission of the People’s Liberation Army, said Washington was “tying the region’s countries to the US war chariot”. The Chinese Communist Party should “look in the mirror” and ask why countries in the region were forming new partnerships with each other but not with Beijing, said Sklenka. Asked whether a collective defence treaty between the US and its Indo-Pacific allies was conceivable or desirable, Sklenka told this masthead: “Those of us at Indopacom would sleep better at night if we had something like a NATO out here, but that’s not happening. “But my retort to that is no, instead of castigating those relationships, the Chinese should probably look in the mirror and ask themselves why have these arrangements come into fruition. “Why did the Quad [a security dialogue embracing the US, India, Japan and Australia] come into play? Because these countries are nervous, they’re nervous about the direction the CCPs going,” said Sklenka, a US Marines officer and the deputy commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, the largest of the US regional commands. He was in Australia as the 2024 Australian-American Leadership Dialogue scholar.

>>20998419 New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says China Premier Li Qiang will visit this week - New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced that China's premier, Li Qiang, will visit the country this week. It will be the first trip to the nation by a Chinese premier since Li Keqiang's visit in 2017. Mr Luxon, speaking at a post-cabinet press conference on Monday, local time, said the visit would be a valuable opportunity for exchanges on areas of cooperation between the two countries. "New Zealand and China engage where we have shared interests, and we speak frankly and constructively with each other where we have differences," he said. "Our relationship is significant, complex, and resilient. The challenging global outlook makes it vital that we are sharing perspectives and engaging China on key issues that matter to New Zealand," he added. New Zealand has long been seen as a moderate or absent voice on China in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, but in recent years has spoken up about what it considers to be concerning actions by Beijing.

#36 - Part 84

Australia / China Tensions - Part 8

>>21004567 Chinese premier visit to include both ‘panda diplomacy’ and difficult issues - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to use a four-day visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang to raise difficult issues including provocative military actions by China’s People’s Liberation Army as hopes grow that Chinese pandas will remain in Australia as a symbol of improved relations between the two nations. Li - who is second-in-command in the Chinese system to President Xi Jinping - will visit Australia from June 15-18, the first visit by a Chinese premier in seven years and the latest sign of stabilisation in a bilateral relationship that soured dramatically during the Morrison government. Albanese said he would warn China not to put the lives of Australian military personnel at risk, raise the suspended death sentence handed to Chinese-Australian academic Yang Hengjun and push for the resumption of Australian shellfish exports. After arriving on Saturday evening, Li will first visit Adelaide Zoo, home to the only giant pandas in the southern hemisphere, before travelling to Canberra and Western Australia. Li could use his Sunday zoo visit to announce an extension of the prized panda loan agreement between Australia and China, which was due to expire at the end of this year.

>>21004607 Coalition wants annual intelligence analysis of China - The Coalition wants the nation’s peak intelligence assessment body to issue annual threat assessments calling out Chinese foreign interference, saying Beijing’s relentless propaganda operations could not go unanswered. Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson will propose the new role for the Office of National Intelligence in a major speech on Tuesday, arguing its “unparalleled situational awareness” is not being sufficiently utilised. Senator Paterson will tell the Global Information Conference in Adelaide that China has long placed “information warfare” at the centre of its strategic plans, and Australia needs to fight back with truth and transparency. Pointing to the Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, he will flag similar yearly statements by ONI if the Coalition is elected. The proposed assessments would focus on Australia’s immediate region and “should provide specific examples of foreign interference, cyber-attacks, corruption and coercion”, Senator Paterson will say. The director-general of intelligence, Andrew Shearer, could be called upon to deliver an annual speech on his agency’s assessment, like those provided each year by ASIO boss Mike Burgess, Senator Paterson will suggest.

>>21004625 Plea to NSW premier for ex-pilot facing extradition - The wife of a former US pilot facing possible extradition to the United States for unlawfully training Chinese pilots has asked the NSW premier for help after her husband was transferred to another prison. Ex-fighter pilot Daniel Duggan spent 19 months in the maximum-security prison at Lithgow before a magistrate ruled him eligible for extradition in May. He has since been transferred to Macquarie Correctional Centre in Wellington weeks before federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus determines whether he should be surrendered to the US. On Friday, his wife Saffrine Duggan sent a letter to NSW Premier Chris Minns saying the ex-pilot's conditions had "significantly deteriorated" and he was further away from his family and legal team. "I can only assume this is a mistake … which you can remedy as a matter of urgency given the horrendous impact it has had on my family," she wrote. Because of the transfer, Duggan had lost access to a computer to prepare his case for the attorney-general and meetings with his legal team had been "cancelled, delayed and changed," she said.

>>21009124 Protest clashes to mar China’s panda diplomacy - Police are preparing for potential clashes between “patriotic” ­Chinese and anti-China protesters when Premier Li Qiang visits Canberra next week, after Beijing urged its Australian supporters to show up in force to welcome the country’s No. 2 leader. The call-out came as Anthony Albanese framed Mr Li’s trip as a boost for Australia’s economic prosperity, noting China’s hunger for the nation’s resources including critical minerals. Xi Jinping’s right-hand man will kick off his June 15-18 Australian trip in Adelaide, where he is expected to announce that two pandas on loan at the city’s zoo will have their stay extended. Mr Li will meet winemakers in the South Australian capital on Sunday and attend a state lunch hosted by Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Trade Minister Don Farrell, before heading to Canberra for talks with Mr Albanese on Monday. The Prime Minister will accompany the Chinese leader to Perth the following day for talks with business leaders and tours of a Chinese-backed lithium venture and a Fortescue Metals Group ­hydrogen plant.

#36 - Part 85

Australia / China Tensions - Part 9

>>21009148 Security barrier to China’s panda diplomacy - Police will erect a fence on the lawn in front of Parliament House to separate “patriotic” Chinese from human rights protesters when China’s No.2 leader visits Canberra on Monday amid fears of clashes between the two camps. As pro-Beijing Chinese community associations rally their members to welcome Premier Li Qiang, a coalition of human rights groups have called for peaceful protests against the “henchman of dictator Xi” – a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping. Australia Tibet Council executive director Zoe Bedford said the anti-China protesters would target Beijing’s “appalling” human rights record, and the Albanese government’s failure to take a more forceful stand against Mr Xi’s regime. The Australian Federal Police declined to comment on security arrangements but AFP plans seen by The Australian show a physical barrier will be set up on the parliamentary lawn to keep the rival groups apart. Dr Bedford said: “We understand the Chinese embassy and pro-China groups are organising people to counter-protest and we are concerned about our safety as they have been aggressive and ­violent towards our peaceful human rights protests in the past. “This is a part of China’s transnational repression - where the Chinese embassy is attempting to intimidate our community, most of whom are former political prisoners from Tibet.”

>>21009172 Working productively with China will benefit everyone in the region - "China and Australia are two very different nations, with different systems of government and different ways of looking at the world. Points of contention are inevitable; what matters is how you manage them. I take the view that whatever our differences might be, it is always better when we can deal with each other directly, through dialogue. This is how we firmly and calmly call out unacceptable risks to Australian naval personnel on duty in international waters, as well as making clear Australia’s resolute position on the UN Conven­tion on the Law of the Sea and our unwavering support for the territorial integrity of our neighbours. This is not always a smooth process, or a swift one, but while issuing threats and delivering ultimatums may be the easy road, it never takes you very far. In a world of increasing complexity, the true measure of foreign policy strength is the ability to effectively manage differences, not manufacture confronta­tions. That’s why, as well as reminding ourselves of the benefits we have been able to secure through dialogue, we must always remember the potentially devastating cost of the alternative. Australia, China and every nation in our region has a role to play in upholding the rules based-order, respecting our neighbours’ sovereignty and maintaining the stability of the Indo-Pacific. What’s more, we all have much to gain from it. In this spirit, our government will continue to use dialogue to advance Australia’s interests, articulate our values and build a more prosperous and secure future for all who call the Indo-Pacific home." - Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia - theaustralian.com.au

>>21015578 Australia, NZ more wary on China as Premier Li visits - Regional security concerns will overshadow lucrative trade ties when China's Premier Li Qiang visits New Zealand and Australia this week, with the mood markedly different from the last Chinese premier's visit seven years ago. Li arrives in New Zealand on Thursday, before travelling to Australia at the weekend, China's foreign ministry said. Australia is the top supplier of iron ore to China, its largest trading partner, but there is competition for Australia's rare earths needed for electric vehicles and defence from Western security allies. New Zealand was the first Western nation to strike a free trade agreement with China in 2008, and China remains its largest export market for milk and agriculture products, with two-way trade of nearly NZ$38 billion ($23 billion). New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Li's visit was an opportunity for businesses to strike deals, and there was "massive areas of cooperation with China, particularly in the areas of trade, energy, climate change". Differences would also be discussed, he added. Once a moderate voice on China, New Zealand has toughened its stance, this year calling out Beijing for hacking the country's parliament and noting the growing threat China poses to security in the Pacific.

#36 - Part 86

Australia / China Tensions - Part 10

>>21025476 AUKUS and foreign interference raised in discussions with Chinese premier - Christopher Luxon - AUKUS and foreign interference have been discussed as part of official meetings between Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Li is the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit New Zealand in seven years. The trip coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. He received a full official welcome on Thursday for the official meeting at Government House in Wellington, where a range of topics were discussed, namely - our two-way trade. The meeting also came against a backdrop of rising geopolitical tensions. China has made no secret of its displeasure toward the AUKUS defence pact - which New Zealand supports and has considered joining in a second-tier capacity. China's Ambassador to New Zealand has said joining would be akin to "taking sides".

>>21025479 Premier Li visits New Zealand as two countries to expand trade, exchanges - "China-New Zealand cooperation has set a model of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation between countries with different social systems, historical cultures, and stages of development, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said during his visit to New Zealand on Thursday, adding that the respective development of China and New Zealand is an opportunity for each other rather than a challenge. Observers said China-New Zealand ties are a "model" of relations between China and Western countries. They said Li's visit highlights the fact that China is willing to retain friendly ties with Western countries if they seek pragmatic cooperation and hold on to strategic autonomy. Li arrived in New Zealand on Thursday for an official visit, the first leg of his three-nation tour from June 13 to 20. Li said his visit to New Zealand is intended to continue traditional friendship, promote mutually beneficial cooperation, and drive common development." - Zhao Yusha - globaltimes.cn

>>21025492 Albanese’s three fudges on China yield nothing - and weaken us - "The price Australia pays for Anthony Albanese’s stabilised engagement with communist China is that all substance is drained from the relationship. That’s why the most concrete aim mentioned by the Prime Minister in his commentary piece in The Australian last Wednesday was to “see further progress for our shellfish exporters”. He has nothing to say about Beijing’s open challenge to regional security. Albanese’s article did not touch on China’s military threats against Taiwan. He raised no issues about Chinese cyber malware planted into Australian critical infrastructure. He said nothing about China’s relentless intellectual property theft, about unprecedented levels of espionage, about threats and bullying of Chinese Australians, or about attempts to bribe Australian politicians. The Prime Minister can fool himself that the less offensive Chinese diplomacy is the result “of the benefits we have been able to secure through dialogue”. A more accurate assessment is that China shelved the wolf warrior nonsense because Beijing realised it was doing harm. The resumption of dialogue under Labor happened precisely because it has no substance. China has not changed its strategic behaviour in any way and actually has become more militarily aggressive. Until such time as China can manage a respectful relationship with Australia, or until we can handle ties with a hint of backbone, it would be best for our national security and self-respect that Premier Li return home and take his pandas with him." - Peter Jennings, former executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (2012-22) - theaustralian.com.au

>>21025506 Anthony Albanese told by Trump adviser to ‘have eyes open’ on Li Qiang - Donald Trump’s former Asia tsar Matt Pottinger has urged Anthony Albanese to have his “eyes wide open” when he meets visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang, as ­former Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo warned Labor’s preoccupation with stabilising ties with Beijing risked emboldening Chinese President Xi Jinping. Mr Pottinger told The Weekend Australian leader-level contact with Beijing was important, but Mr Albanese said should not expect any real improvement in Beijing’s behaviour. “I’m usually more sceptical about the sorts of activities that the Chinese Communist Party likes to lure governments into at the working level, where no real progress ever gets made,” the former deputy US national security adviser said ahead of Mr Li’s ­arrival in Australia on Saturday. “It’s usually a system to stall and buy time and advance Chinese Communist Party interests. “I think it’s reasonable that Australia’s Prime Minister and New Zealand’s leader would be meeting the Premier as well as the General Secretary (Xi Jinping), but to do so with eyes wide open.”

#36 - Part 87

Australia / China Tensions - Part 11

>>21026539 Chinese premier Li Qiang arrives in Adelaide, Jim Chalmers hails ‘important’ visit - Chinese Premier Li Qiang has arrived in Australia for a four-day visit, declaring he wants to leave the nations’ differences in the past. China’s No. 2 leader arrived in Adelaide about 4.50pm on Saturday, where he was met by Penny Wong, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas, Chinese Ambassador Xiao Qian and Australia’s ambassador to China, Scott Dewar. He is the most senior Chinese leader to visit Australia in seven years, and the Albanese government is hailing the trip as a fresh milestone in its stabilisation of the nation’s China relationship. In a statement released by the Chinese Embassy, Mr Li said “shelving differences” had helped get the bilateral relationship “back on track after a period of twists and turns”, and China was looking forward to renewing the nations’ cooperation and “friendship”. “China stands ready to work with Australia,” he said. “A more mature, stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership will be a treasure shared by both countries.”

>>21026584 ‘I’ve agonised over this’: Suspected foreign interference victims break silence - Federal police told prominent critics of the Chinese Communist Party they were suspected targets of a foreign interference operation, warning them to avoid adopting a predictable daily routine to prevent putting themselves in danger. Activist Drew Pavlou and journalist Vicky Xu told this masthead the Australian Federal Police (AFP) asked them not to speak to anyone about the investigation, but they had decided to go public out of frustration that no arrests had been made, or charges laid, since they were informed about the probe 10 months ago. Details of the secretive foreign interference probe have come to light as Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives in Adelaide for a four-day Australian visit, highlighting the significant difficulties that remain in the Australia-China relationship despite markedly improved trade ties. Pavlou and Xu urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to raise concerns about foreign interference in his discussions with Li, a call backed by the federal opposition. An AFP spokesman said that “espionage and foreign interference represent a serious threat to Australian sovereignty and security and the integrity of our national institutions. The AFP is a member of the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce, which is investigating a range of foreign interference matters,” the spokesman said. “It would be inappropriate to comment further on the status of those investigations.”

>>21030663 ‘Twists and turns’ in Australia-China ties are over, Li Qiang says - but Penny Wong highlights tensions - China’s second-most powerful leader has announced that the “twists and turns” in Australia-China relations are over - and invited Australian officials to pick a new pair of pandas for Adelaide’s zoo. But Penny Wong chose to highlight the tensions that remain in the relationship before a series of talks with Premier Li Qiang, who arrived in Australia on Saturday evening and was met by protesters outside the zoo on Sunday. Li Qiang’s arrival marks the first time a Chinese premier has visited Australia since Li Keqiang accepted Malcolm Turnbull’s invitation in 2017. Li is in Australia for the annual leaders meeting, which both sides see as central to stabilising relations between the nations. Australia’s foreign affairs minister welcomed Li’s visit, which Wong said was the result of “two years of very deliberate, very patient work” by the Albanese government to “bring about a stabilisation of the relationship” with Australia’s largest trade partner. She acknowledged that tensions remained. But Wong also noted that Australia was in a “permanent contest” with China over the Pacific, a state she blamed the former Coalition government for.

#36 - Part 88

Australia / China Tensions - Part 12

>>21030682 Chinese premier kicks off Australia visit, as bilateral relations ‘get back on normal track after frosty years’ - "Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in Adelaide on Saturday to kick off his official visit to Australia, following his trip to New Zealand. The visit, which is the first in seven years by a Chinese premier, shows that the bilateral relations have returned to a normal track following frosty years, analysts said. Arriving in Adelaide, Li said on Saturday that the exchanges between China and Australia have a long history, and the friendship between the two peoples remains ever new over time. A more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership will be a shared asset for both peoples, Li said, adding that China is willing to work with Australia to that end. Last year, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid a successful visit to China, getting bilateral relations back to the right track after twists and turns, the Chinese premier said. History has proven that mutual respect, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and mutually beneficial cooperation are valuable experience in the development of China-Australia relations, and need to be upheld and carried forward, he noted." - Cui Fandi - globaltimes.cn

>>21030698 China wants to keep New Zealand as a passive friend in the Pacific - "Chinese Premier Li Qiang passed through New Zealand before landing in Adelaide. Many Australians see the New Zealand stop as a minor component of Li’s Australasia trip, the main purpose of which is to endorse Anthony Albanese’s approach of stabilising ties with China. To downplay the New Zealand component is to misunderstand Chinese strategy and intention in our region. If overt tensions with China increased significantly with almost all liberal democracies over the past few years, New Zealand was a notable exception under John Key and Jacinda Ardern. Although Australia’s ally and a member of the Five Eyes intelligence network, Wellington took a small-target approach with China. In practice, this meant turning a blind eye to extensive Chinese infiltration and interference in New Zealand’s institutions, retaining a studied silence vis-a-vis Chinese aggression and transgressions around the world, and being the only Five Eyes nation to formally sign on to Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative. New Zealand is hardly a regional, let alone, global power. But Wellington is a potential complication for Beijing’s designs in the Pacific and Antarctica as it expands its presence in both these subregions. As Australia has shown, small countries can achieve outsized impacts through effective advocacy and example. For this reason, Beijing has long been delighted New Zealand did not follow Australia’s approach." - Dr John Lee, senior adviser to the Australian foreign minister (2016-18)

>>21030729 Video: Chinese boat arrival intercepted by Australian authorities - Nine Chinese citizens attempting to reach Australia have been rescued by fishermen off southern Java and detained after they claimed they were pushed back into Indonesian waters by the Australian Border Force. The nine, along with three Indonesian crew members, were taken to the western port town of Pelabuhan Ratu, telling local authorities they had been turned back after being held at sea by an Australian naval vessel for five days. They told Indonesian police their wooden boat had become disabled and was drifting about 65km off Java, when they were rescued by fishermen and taken to Pelabuhan Ratu - which has long been a departure point for illegal smuggling vessels – on Saturday afternoon. The group’s detention is the fourth known attempt by groups of Chinese nationals to break through to Australia this year, having been told by smugglers that asylum awaits them should they make landfall.

#36 - Part 89

Australia / China Tensions - Part 13

>>21036085 Penny Wong claims Liberals’ climate stance helps China in Pacific, as Li Qiang heads to Canberra - Penny Wong says Peter Dutton’s plan to ditch the nation’s 2030 climate target will strengthen Beijing’s hand in the “permanent contest” in the Pacific, as Anthony Albanese prepares to welcome Chinese Premier Li Qiang to ­Canberra by lauding the contribution of Chinese Australians “to the story of our modern nation”. Framing the coming election as a battle over climate change with national security implications, the Foreign Minister declared the ­Coalition had “abandoned the field in the Pacific, and others have filled that space”. “We’re in a state of permanent contest in the Pacific. That’s the ­reality,” she told the ABC, alluding to China’s sustained push for influence across the region. “I wish there were a rewind ­button (so) we could recover the last 10 years, but we don’t. We have to deal with what we have now, which is a permanent contest in the Pacific.” China’s No. 2 leader arrived in Adelaide at the weekend declaring the nations’ bilateral relationship was “back on track”, and deploying Beijing’s trademark “panda diplomacy”. He announced the city would get two new giant pandas to replace Adelaide Zoo’s current pair - Wang Wang and Funi - who are to return home in November. He said the “shelving of differences” between Australia and China had opened the door to “a more mature, stable” relationship, and declared: “China stands ready to work with Australia.”

>>21036111 China Daily praises Anthony Albanese for not being ‘under the sway of Washington’ - Beijing has praised Prime Minister Albanese for not being “under the sway of Washington”, as China’s propaganda machine has tried to explain away Australia’s high levels of distrust towards its rising power. As Chinese Premier Li Qiang was given a ceremonial welcome in Canberra on Monday, Mr Albanese was applauded in an editorial in Beijing’s most authoritative English language masthead, China Daily, for “taking steps in the right direction” and demonstrating that “Canberra can balance relations with Beijing and Washington”. China Daily contrasted Mr Albanese’s approach with his “confrontational” predecessor Scott Morrison, who it accused of being “under the sway of Washington”. “The fast recovering curve of Sino-Australian ties over the past two years should prompt both Beijing and Canberra to foster a more mature, stable and fruitful partnership that is resistant to outside interference,” the China Daily said. The masthead also claimed Canberra had “already demonstrated that it is not willing to unreservedly follow Washington’s lead having expressed critical views on the US’ tariff attack on Chinese goods and export restrictions targeting Chinese technology development”. It is not clear which comments the Chinese masthead was referring to.

>>21036156 Video: Chinese officials block Cheng Lei from view at Australia-China press event - Sky News Australia journalist Cheng Lei says while it’s unfortunate Chinese officials repeatedly attempted to block her from view during a historic joint press event with Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, she’s not surprised. The bizarre scene unfolded when Cheng - who was detained in a Chinese prison for three years - was seated among other Australian journalists to watch the Prime Minister and Premier Li speak on a series of agreements struck between Beijing and Canberra. Video of the incident shows a man in a blue suit and a woman in a brown coat repeatedly manoeuvring in an attempt to prevent Cheng from being captured by news cameras. Mr Albanese and Premier Li used the speech to assert that the relationship between Australia and China had been “renewed and revitalised” and the two countries were focused on stability in the Asia-Pacific. Mr Albanese declined to condemn the conduct of Chinese officials attempting to block Cheng from the view of news cameras. The Prime Minister said it was important that everyone is able to participate in the day’s events, but he did not see the incident in question which was captured on camera. “Well, I didn’t see it, but I saw Cheng Lei and we smiled at each other during the event,” he said. “I’m not aware of those issues and it is important that people be allowed to participate fully, and that is what should happen in this building, or anywhere else in Australia.”

#36 - Part 90

Australia / China Tensions - Part 14

>>21036163 Video: Cheng Lei wanted to do her job. A Chinese embassy official had other ideas - Even in Canberra’s Parliament House - Australia’s monument to democracy - Cheng Lei cannot avoid being hassled by the Chinese government. Just eight months ago, Cheng was locked up in a detention facility in Beijing, facing a long prison sentence after being accused of vague national security charges. She was released last October following strenuous lobbying by Australian officials. The Chinese-Australian journalist is now living freely in Australia and working as a journalist for Sky News. In this capacity, Cheng attended a signing ceremony on Monday morning following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. As Li and Albanese arrived at the event, a junior official from the Chinese embassy in Canberra planted himself in front of Cheng, who was sitting silently among a group of other Australian journalists. He then started filming the event on his iPhone. At first, it was unclear exactly what was going on. Then it became apparent. The Chinese official, named Thomas, and a female colleague in a brown coat were trying to ensure Cheng would not feature in any footage or photographs of the event. A quick-minded Australian official motioned to Cheng to move a few seats across, to an aisle seat where she would not be blocked. Even then, Thomas remained in place, obstructing the view of other Australian journalists. He refused to budge despite pleas from multiple Australian officials. Albanese and Li beamed for the cameras, but the Australian public servants were ropeable. “That was the height of rudeness,” one seethed, her face red with anger as she upbraided Thomas. In his remarks at the event, Li vowed that “China will work with Australia in a spirit of mutual respect”. A lovely sentiment. In practice, little respect was on display for Cheng, the other journalists in the room or Australian officials. Australia was hosting this event, but the Chinese side thought it was setting the rules.

>>21036172 Australian writer Yang Hengjun’s supporters criticise ‘weak’ Albanese government - Supporters of Australian Yang Hengjun have criticised a “weak” Albanese government for prioritising pandas and wine exports over their imprisoned friend. Hopes the visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang could improve the plight of Dr Yang have faded among his supporters, who in recent months had urged the Albanese government to make his release to Australia on medical parole a precondition for the trip. “I’m quite disappointed,” Feng Chongyi, a close friend of the pro-democracy writer, told The Australian. “It’s a very weak position. They should have put Yang’s release as the top priority, but instead they put pandas [and] the sale of lobster and wine. They got it wrong,” Professor Feng said. The Australian government has always privately argued that Dr Yang’s former career as a junior agent working for China’s Ministry of State Security made his case much more complicated. Dr Yang was given a suspended death sentence in February on espionage charges, shocking Canberra and devastating his friends and family. Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Sunday indicated Dr Yang’s sentence and conditions would be raised in talks on Monday in Canberra with China’s second most senior leader. “We will continue to advocate for Dr Yang wherever we are able, and we will continue to advocate, including for appropriate medical treatment,” Senator Wong told the ABC.

#36 - Part 91

Australia / China Tensions - Part 15

>>21036210 OPINION: We can’t pander to China. Hong Kong Australians need us to speak up for them - "As Australia hosts China’s Premier Li this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the visit is an “opportunity for Australia to advance our interests by demonstrating our national values” and that “Australia continues to pursue a stable and direct relationship with China, with dialogue at its core”. In the lead-up to this landmark visit, increasingly brazen steps have been taken to crack down on freedoms in Hong Kong. New, draconian national security laws have been introduced despite significant human rights concerns raised by the UN. Peaceful protesters, as well as booksellers, journalists and children’s book authors have been arrested and prosecuted. Fourteen pro-democracy activists have been convicted of “subversion” for peacefully participating in political activities. Even singing a protest song, Glory to Hong Kong, can now result in prosecution. Lai’s case is emblematic of the crackdown on free speech, democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong, which is also affecting Australians. Just last month, 14 democracy activists were convicted under the national security law, including an Australian citizen. As part of the crackdown, Hong Kong has issued “bounties” for the arrest of high-profile activists living in exile, including for former legislator Ted Hui and lawyer Kevin Yam, who is also an Australian citizen. Both live in Australia. Australia has a large Hong Kong community: around 86,000 people born in Hong Kong now call Australia home. This growing transnational repression threat makes it all the more important that Australia raises it. Australia must raise free speech and democracy in Hong Kong and call for the release of Jimmy Lai and all journalists and pro-democracy campaigners." - Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, international human rights lawyer and Jennifer Robinson, Australian barrister and member of Jimmy Lai’s legal team - theage.com.au

>>21042011 Video: ‘Rude, inappropriate’: Albanese toughens language on Cheng Lei incident as Chinese premier departs - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has insisted his government has improved relations with China without giving ground on core values, as he revealed he complained directly to Chinese Premier Li Qiang about embassy officials’ disrespectful treatment of journalist Cheng Lei. Albanese toughened his language late on Tuesday afternoon after coming under attack by the opposition for failing to condemn the embassy officials’ behaviour strongly enough. He described the conduct as “rude”, “entirely inappropriate” and “counterproductive”, while the government separately blasted China for “dangerous and illegal” behaviour in the South China Sea. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton lashed Albanese for failing to call out the Chinese officials’ behaviour swiftly on Monday, saying the prime minister needed to “grow a backbone” after Albanese initially called the conduct “clumsy” and “ham-fisted” on Tuesday morning. By Tuesday afternoon, Albanese had said the “idea of standing between a camera and a journalist is just clearly inappropriate”. “That was rude what occurred and, frankly, just counterproductive from the Chinese side and just drew attention to the fact that Cheng Lei was there,” he said in an interview with 6PR.

>>21042044 Chinese officials were rude and belligerent. Why did that take Albanese so long to say? - "Rude. Belligerent. Completely disrespectful. Utterly inappropriate. These were some of the words Anthony Albanese could have accurately used when asked on Tuesday morning to describe the behaviour of Chinese embassy officials at a signing ceremony at Parliament House the previous day. Instead, the prime minister opted for “ham-fisted” and “clumsy”. He used this language in multiple breakfast radio interviews, indicating it had been carefully chosen the night before. It took about eight more hours - and Coalition demands for him to “grow a backbone” - for Albanese to toughen his language. It’s true that a foreign official behaving like a pork chop by standing in front of a reporter is a trivial affair in and of itself. Beijing’s systematic repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, its assault on democracy in Hong Kong and cyberattacks on nations, including Australia, are far more significant violations, to name just a few. Yet what occurred at the signing ceremony was a symbolically powerful moment, one that affronted Australians’ famed sense of fairness. By refusing to budge despite the protestations of Australian officials, the Chinese embassy official confirmed Australians’ worst fears of China under Xi Jinping: a thuggish superpower so smitten with its sense of superiority that it can throw its weight around at will." - Matthew Knott - theage.com.au

#36 - Part 92

Australia / China Tensions - Part 16

>>21042081 With friends like these … ties still ‘wary’ with China - "China’s No. 2 leader, Li Qiang, has committed to a new defence ­hotline with Canberra to avoid military mishaps and sealed a raft of agreements with Anthony ­Albanese on visas, trade and ­climate, in the first visit to Australia by a senior Chinese leader in seven years. But despite declaring bilateral relations were “on the right track”, Mr Li’s visit was marred by members of his entourage, who stood over Sky News journalist and former Chinese political prisoner, Cheng Lei, trying to prevent her being seen in television footage. As Chinese propaganda outlets praised the Prime Minister for demonstrating Canberra was not “under the sway of Washington”, Mr Albanese said he had had a “positive” meeting with Mr Li, but declined to say whether he trusted his Chinese counterpart. Outside parliament, Tibetan community spokesman Tsewang Thupten said he was disappointed at “the red-carpet welcome while human rights are being swept under the rug”. He called for Australia to ­implement sanctions against ­Chinese officials involved in the repression of the country’s minorities. Ramila Chanisheff, from the Australian Uighur Women’s Association, said the government was putting “panda policy before human rights”." - Ben Packham - theaustralian.com.au

>>21042098 All warm on the surface, with little trust below in Australia-China ties - "When Chinese President Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders, his face is impassive. Perhaps, if the occasion requires it, he might offer the barest hint of a smile. It was a different story when Anthony Albanese greeted Chinese Premier Li Qiang outside Parliament House, looking like a kid on Christmas Day. He was positively beaming, shaking Li’s hand so enthusiastically it looked like he might do him an injury. In what might have been a parallel universe just a few hundred metres away, an estimated 500 ­Tibetan, Uighur and Falun Gong protesters screamed their lungs out, branding Xi Jinping a “killer” and a “liar”. Many said they had family members in Chinese concentration camps. They drowned out a roughly equal-sized group of flag-waving Chinese loyalists, who were lured to Canberra with offers of free food and accommodation by ­Beijing’s United Front network. After his closed-door talks with Li, Albanese professed - yet again – the value of dialogue with China. But does he trust China to do what it says? Not on your life. Despite all the smiles and gestures of friendship, the government has zero faith that China will ever be a reliable partner." - Ben Packham - theaustralian.com.au

>>21042111 Cheng Lei incident diminishes PM, nation - "At one level it may seem a trivial enough incident, officious Chinese government personnel trying to block Australian journalist Cheng Lei from view of the Chinese Premier, Li Qiang, and Chinese TV cameras. Cheng Lei is an Australian citizen and a journalist at Sky News. She formerly worked as a broadcast journalist in China. She was held in a Chinese prison for more than three years on ridiculous, trumped-up charges. Key elements of consular agreements with Australia, such as access by our diplomats, were denied in her case. She was a victim of Beijing’s brutal hostage diplomacy, by which it takes foreign citizens into punitive custody, to punish, and establish leverage over, nations it’s annoyed with. Cheng Lei is now none of the Chinese government’s business. The extreme arrogance of the Chinese state was evident in the behaviour of Chinese officials in Canberra towards her. In one of his meaningless statements in Canberra, the Chinese Premier talked of “an increasingly open China”. Yet right here in Australia’s own Parliament House, which is decidedly not part of Chinese sovereign territory and where officials of the Chinese state have no authority, their diplomats not only tried to block an Australian journalist, but physically checked members of staff of the Prime Minister’s Office and refused even the most elementary directions from the PMO. Behaviour that would be unacceptable from any other nation - imagine the uproar if American diplomats tried to prevent some ABC journalist from attending a press conference with the US Secretary of State – is apparently okay from China. Of course, it’s not an analogous situation because Chinese government figures don’t do press conferences." - Greg Sheridan - theaustralian.com.au

#36 - Part 93

Australia / China Tensions - Part 17

>>21042140 OPINION: Beijing is not on our side. Let’s not fall for a pair of therapy pandas - "The mask is back on again. The Chinese Communist Party removed the mask of friendship four years ago and showed us its true face - the face of a malign bully. Now it wants us to forget what we saw. To “shelve our differences”, in the words yesterday of Premier Li Qiang. Why? Because the bullying wasn’t working. And because Beijing realised that it had overreached so much that it had alienated and alerted many countries at once in its “wolf warrior” phase. It wants us to relapse into our customary stupor so it can work towards dominance without disturbance. You’d imagine that the Albanese government won’t fall for it. To the prime minister’s credit, he did raise directly with Li Qiang several of Beijing’s more egregious harms to Australia. These include the People’s Liberation Army’s dangerous and deliberate harassments of the Australian Navy in international waters, the CCP’s illegal interference operations against Australian citizens on Australian soil, the imprisonment of Australian citizen Yang Hengjun under sentence of death, and the last remaining trade bans on Australian abattoirs and lobsters. There are more troubling signs that Australia is turning a blind eye to critical areas where Beijing is encroaching on Australian sovereignty and rights. Why would Albanese go easy? Because the government has adopted a policy of “stabilisation”, a self-imposed trap. If your stated aim is “stabilisation”, you don’t want to do anything that might roil relations. The moment there’s a sign of destabilisation, your policy has failed." - Peter Hartcher, international editor - smh.com.au

>>21042162 Premier Li meets Albanese; 'visit shows China’s sincerity in improving ties with Australia' - "Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Monday that China is ready to work with Australia to build a more mature, stable and fruitful China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership to better benefit the two peoples. Li also announced on Monday that China will include Australia on the list of unilateral visa-free countries. The premier's visit to Australia has showcased China's sincerity in improving ties with Australia, and it is hoped that Australia will meet China halfway to allow for the evolution of bilateral relations and increased cooperation, said observers. Looking back at the development of China-Australia relations over the past decade, the most important experience and inspiration is to uphold mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation, and seek common ground while shelving differences, Li said. Li made the remarks during the ninth China-Australia Annual Leaders' Meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Since Prime Minister Albanese's visit to China last November, China and Australia have further restored and developed dialogues and cooperation in various fields, achieving a comprehensive turnaround in bilateral relations, Li said." - Zhao Yusha - globaltimes.cn

>>21042176 What do the 'back on track' China-Australia ties reveal?: Global Times editorial - "Will China-Australia relations officially break the ice? Are China-Australia relations still testing the waters? Can China-Australia relations stabilize and continue to improve? Before the annual meeting between Chinese Premier and Australian Prime Minister, public opinion on the current state of China-Australia relations was still divided. However, with China unilaterally granting visa-free entry to Australians, the initiation of cooperation on giant panda conservation, and a series of pragmatic achievements, including bilateral cooperation documents in strategic economic dialogue, further promotion of free trade agreement implementation, climate change response, education, and culture, dominating media headlines, the relationship between the two countries has not only achieved the goals of rebuilding dialogue and stabilizing, as Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese mentioned, but also, as Chinese Premier Li Qiang noted, has been "back on track after a period of twists and turns."" - Global Times - globaltimes.cn

#36 - Part 94

Australia / China Tensions - Part 18

>>21042213 Chinese premier's Western Australia tour spotlights global race for critical minerals - Chinese Premier Li Qiang visited a lithium processing plant in resource-rich Western Australia state on Tuesday, highlighting China's push to secure critical minerals as Washington tries to break Beijing's supply dominance. Western Australia supplies more than half of the world's seaborne iron ore, with China its top customer, and half of its lithium used in electric vehicles, smartphones and other electronic devices. Li's visit to Australia, which began Sunday, is the first by a Chinese premier in seven years and marks a stabilisation in ties between the U.S. ally and the world's second-biggest economy. While China has largely lifted suspensions imposed on $20 billion worth of Australian exports in 2020, after Canberra sought an investigation into the origins of COVID-19, it continues to express concerns about obstacles to Chinese investment in Australia's vast resources industry. The issue of how Australia screens Chinese investment in its critical minerals sector was expected to be discussed at a business roundtable in Perth attended by Li and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

>>21049225 Video: Sky News journalist Cheng Lei blocked by Chinese from second media event - Sky News Australia journalist Cheng Lei was blocked from covering Peter Dutton’s meeting with China’s Premier Li Qiang, adding to a diplomatic controversy that has gone entirely unreported on the Chinese internet. The Opposition Leader criticised Anthony Albanese over his initial response to an earlier effort in Parliament House by Chinese diplomats to block Ms Cheng from television cameras, telling the Prime Minister to “grow a backbone”. But on Wednesday, Ms Cheng revealed she had also been blocked from attending the opening remarks of a meeting between Mr Dutton and the Chinese Premier at the Hyatt Hotel in Canberra, despite a member of the opposition’s staff assuring her: “I’ll get you in.” Ms Cheng, who was imprisoned in Beijing for almost three years on dubious national security charges, said she was blocked after an intervention by the same two staff at the Chinese Embassy who had shadowed her at an earlier press event in Parliament House. “This is our turf, we can veto it,” Ms Cheng said she overheard one of the Chinese officials saying to their counterpart.

>>21049260 Anthony Albanese’s last word on press freedom to Chinese Premier Li Qiang - Anthony Albanese directly raised concerns about press freedoms with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, as the senior Chinese leader’s final day in Australia ended without any breakthrough on the last key industry still suffering from Chinese-imposed trade barriers. Australia’s lobster industry was the last major export still subject to trade impediments that sprung up when relations between China and Australia soured during the pandemic, and there had been growing hopes in the lead-up to Mr Li’s visit that this week could mark the point at which those impositions were lifted. The hundreds of guests at a banquet in Perth honouring Mr Li were all served lobster as an entree. But those trade barriers remained in place as Mr Li boarded his China-bound 747 on Tuesday afternoon, with China’s second-highest ranked official instead ­focusing on celebrating the deep commodity export ties with Australia and the potential for both countries to benefit from growth in renewable technologies. Mr Li’s final day in Australia started with a direct discussion with the Prime Minister about the treatment of Australian journalist and former Chinese political prisoner Cheng Lei at a media event in Canberra on Monday, after members of Mr Li’s entourage attempted to stand over her and block her from being seen in TV footage.

#36 - Part 95

Australia / China Tensions - Part 19

>>21049388 Australia announces new initiatives to help improve PNG's internal security, law and justice as part of major bilateral security agreement - Australia has announced a package of initiatives aimed at strengthening Papua New Guinea's internal security and law and justice priorities under a major bilateral security agreement. A delegation of Australian officials - including Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Minster for International Development Pat Conroy — are in PNG to attend the 30th Ministerial Forum. Australia will give additional support for stability in the PNG Highlands as part of the agreement, including a new program to help PNG improve weapons management. It comes more than a year after one of PNG's worst massacres, which left at least 49 people dead and drew attention to the stacks of illegal firearms and ammunition making their way through the region. Australia's finalisation of the bilateral security agreement with PNG last year came after China signed a police cooperation deal with PNG's neighbour, Solomon Islands. Mininster Tkatchencko yesterday reiterated that his country was not considering similar policing and security offers made by China to PNG. "We have chosen not to entertain that at all, made that very, very clear," he said. "We need to now strengthen our partnership with Australia, who is our traditional partner."

>>21054503 China renames hundreds of villages in Xinjiang to scrub away Uyghur identity: Human Rights Watch - China has renamed at least 630 villages in Xinjiang, erasing references to Uyghur culture in what human rights advocates say is a systematic propaganda rebrand designed to stamp out the Muslim minority group’s identity. In a research brief released by Human Rights Watch on Wednesday, the organisation said it had identified a mass renaming process by Chinese authorities in the country’s north-western region, with “Happiness,” “Unity,” and “Harmony” among the most common replacement names for villages. The renaming involved deleting references to religion, Uyghur history and cultural practices. The report found, for example, that since 2009 all but six of the 47 villages in Xinjiang with the word mazar (shrine) in their names had been renamed by 2023, while 25 of the 28 villages that had a reference to Hoja (religious teacher) in 2016 had been renamed. “This is part of a broader effort to really scrub Uyghur identity. We’ve seen numerous measures by the Chinese government to do this, but changing the names of villages, particularly those with religious or Islamic significance, has a huge bearing on people,” said Elaine Pearson, director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division. The Chinese embassy in Australia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. During Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s four-day visit to Australia this week, protesters in Adelaide and Canberra drew attention to human rights violations in Xinjiang, where up to 1 million Uyghurs were reportedly detained in re-education camps.

>>21054526 US Navy admiral highlights WA's strategic role in AUKUS deal, alongside warning about power-hungry China - A US Navy chief has accused China of planning to dominate the Asia-Pacific during a speech in Perth, one day after the Chinese premier's visit to the city. Commander of the US Pacific fleet, Admiral Stephen Koehler, emphasised Western Australia's strategic importance to the AUKUS partnership in his address at the Perth USAsia Centre Wednesday evening. Western Australia is set to be the base for Australia's nuclear-powered submarines under the plan, with HMAS Stirling hosting rotations of US and UK submarines from 2027. "That starts here in Perth," Admiral Koehler said. "[The rotating submarine force] employs Perth's unique combination of positional advantage and strategic depth to maximize a key allied capability." In the same breath, he condemned what he described as confrontational and illegal actions by China towards other nations in the strategically important South China Sea. Admiral Koehler said China's Pacific strategy was "fixated on power" and sought to undermine a rules-based international order. "From my vantage point, the PRC's intentions are clear," he said. "In 2010, then-PRC Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi expressed Beijing's view on the primacy of power in its relationships with its neighbours when he said at an ASEAN meeting that 'China is a big country and you are small countries, and that is a fact'. "Fourteen years later this attitude persists."

#36 - Part 96

Australia / China Tensions - Part 20

>>21077001 Journos fall for spin as they tiptoe around China - "Had China’s diplomats not tried to shut out Sky News Australia reporter Cheng Lei from two Canberra events, our media would have let Prime Minister Anthony Albanese get away with a largely false narrative: he and Foreign Minister Penny Wong are repairing the China relationship broken by Albanese’s predecessor, Scott Morrison. The rift started during Malcolm Turnbull’s prime ministership when, in August 2018, Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei was banned from the 5G telecommunications rollout on security advice. The Australia-China relationship really hit the rocks at the end of January 2020, when prime minister Morrison banned flights from China in the early stages of the spread of Covid-19, and then called for an international investigation into the emergence of the pandemic in the city of Wuhan. Morrison was right on both counts. The truth is that just as China’s bullying of Cheng Lei backfired, its strategy of using trade to punish Australia for speaking up on Covid was a spectacular own goal. Some of the world’s leading economics and foreign policy journals, including The Economist, The Atlantic and Foreign Policy, have not only called out the failure of China’s bullying but praised Australia for resisting pressure from the world’s number two economy. Discussing our China trade relationship, reporters should have been led by the facts rather than by Labor’s spin. The Coalition did a lot wrong during the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison years, but it mostly got China right and it certainly got the AUKUS submarine partnership with the US and UK right. Journalists need to take care not to appear to be pushing the false narratives of their preferred side of politics." - Chris Mitchell - theaustralian.com.au

>>21077018 Solomon Islands PM Jeremiah Manele seeks budget bailout - Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele will seek an ­urgent budget bailout for his country when he meets Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Wednesday amid improving relations between Canberra and Honiara. Mr Manele is in Australia on his first international trip as the country’s leader, before heading on to Beijing and Tokyo. The six-day trip comes amid ongoing Australian concerns over Solomon Islands’ security ties with China, which have been exacerbated in recent weeks by an alleged covert visit to Honiara by a delegation of Chinese police. Sources in both countries said the Australia-Solomon Islands relationship had stabilised since Mr Manele replaced former prime minister Manasseh Sogavare on May 2. Mr Manele flagged three weeks into his term that he would be seeking substantial budget support from Solomon Islands’ partners, noting such funding “will further cement our relations”. After a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Mr Manele said he wanted to discuss “the possibility of much, much larger bilateral co-operation partnerships” to fast-track his country’s development. Mr Manele is expected to make a similar pitch to China, but Beijing typically doesn’t provide cash, preferring loan-funded infrastructure projects.

>>21110238 Police pledge for Solomon Islands to ‘strengthen regional stability’ - Anthony Albanese has pledged Australian support to help Solomon Islands double the size of its police force as the country’s new Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele vowed a Pacific-first security policy cementing Australia’s role as its primary partner ahead of China. In bilateral talks in Canberra on Wednesday, Prime Minister Albanese said Australia would come up with a plan to help Solomon Islands increase the size of its police force from 1500 to 3000 officers to strengthen its sovereignty and improve regional stability. Mr Manele laid out a three-tier security framework for his country prioritising domestic policing, co-operation with Melanesian partners, and strengthened ties with Pacific Island Forum nations including Australia. The policy which pointedly excludes China follows Solomon Islands’ controversial security partnership with Beijing signed by the country’s mercurial former prime minister Manasseh Sogavare. Mr Manele, who received a ceremonial welcome to Parliament House, said he wanted to “lift the current Solomon Islands-Australia relationship to another transformational partnership”. “I’ve committed to ensure our relationship with Australia goes from strength to strength. I have also committed to finding win-win solutions to any areas of our partnership that may require attention,” he said.

#36 - Part 97

Australia / China Tensions - Part 21

>>21110395 China expels former defence minister Li Shangfu accused of violating Communist Party principles and 'discipline' - Former Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu has been expelled from the ruling Communist Party (CCP), months after being removed from office in an abrupt leadership shake-up. State-run Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday Mr Li was removed over allegations of corruption and bribery, which he was undergoing investigation for. The general was ousted from his positions as defence minister and state councillor last October, with no explanation being provided for the dismissal. Prior to that, he had gone missing from public view for about two months amidst a clampdown on corruption by the Xi Jinping government. Xinhua said CCP leadership decided on Mr Li's expulsion due to his "serious violation of Party discipline and the law", determined by China's Central Military Commission (CMC) through a probe running since August. "According to the investigation results, Mr Li seriously violated political and organisational discipline," the news agency reported. "He sought improper benefits in personnel arrangements for himself and others, took advantage of his posts to seek benefits for others, and accepted a huge amount of money and valuables in return. He is suspected of the crime of taking bribes. He was also found to have offered money to others to seek undue benefits, constituting the suspected crime of offering bribes."

>>21110410 Defence ministers charged in Xi Jinping’s latest anti-corruption purge - China’s previous two defence ministers are to be tried for dereliction of duty and bribery, as President Xi Jinping’s campaign to modernise and clean up his military takes its most prominent scalps yet. General Li Shangfu, who disappeared from view last summer and was formally replaced as defence minister in October, is to be stripped of his rank and handed to the judiciary, the ruling politburo said. An investigation found that he had given and taken bribes, “betrayed his original mission” and failed to act in accordance with Communist Party principles. A similar finding was made in the case of his predecessor, General Wei Fenghe, whose offences may be even greater: he retired in March last year after five years as minister, something that often puts officials beyond the reach of anti-corruption drives. The men rose to prominence in related fields, China’s missile, nuclear and space programs, with Wei at one point heading China’s nuclear forces. These linked programs are the focus of a significant upgrade by the People’s Liberation Army and are subject to a corruption inquiry in which 70 officers have been purged. As often with the Communist Party, an opaque dual judicial system for officials, where the courts are involved only after internal party investigations have been conducted, makes it hard to be sure the purge is truly to do with corruption rather than an attempt to root out dissent against party leaders. In practice, once senior officials come before the courts after a party investigation they are inevitably convicted, normally after a brief hearing involving a confession and guilty plea.

>>21168049 Labor names and shames Chinese state-sponsored hackers - A Chinese cyber espionage group called out by the Albanese government for infiltrating public and private sector networks in Australia had also targeted government systems across the South Pacific. In an unprecedented Australian-led attribution of Beijing’s cyber espionage, the Australian Signals Directorate said the group, dubbed APT40, had waged a years-long hacking campaign on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security. The move came just weeks after Anthony Albanese welcomed China’s No 2 leader to Australia and hailed the stabilisation of the countries’ ties. It’s unclear whether the Prime Minister specifically raised ATP40’s activities with Premier Li Qiang, but it’s understood he conveyed Australia’s concerns over cybersecurity breaches and foreign interference. APT40, also known as Gingham Typhoon, Kryptonite Panda, Leviathan and Bronze Mohawk, was recently identified by Microsoft as the region’s “most active” cyber espionage group, targeting networks in “nearly every South Pacific Island country”. The group infiltrated island state government systems and internet service providers as Beijing sought to broker security agreements and seek favourable economic agreements with Pacific nations. “Heightened geopolitical and diplomatic competition in the region may be motivations for these offensive cyber activities,” Microsoft said. Australia’s decision to publicly call out the state-sponsored group was backed by the US, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Germany.

#36 - Part 98

Australia / China Tensions - Part 22

>>21172337 China disputes ‘smear and frame’ cyber attack report - China has criticised the US global surveillance network as it faces questions about a multinational report saying a Chinese government-backed hacking group is repeatedly targeting governments across the Pacific. The Australian government took the forthright step of naming the Sino-backed group APT40 in a report released on Tuesday. Five Eyes allies Canada, New Zealand, the US and the UK co-authored the report, as did Germany, South Korea and Japan. “We are firmly opposed to such repeated hypes about so-called ‘Chinese cyber attacks’ aimed to smear and frame China on cybersecurity,” People’s Republic Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters in China on Tuesday. Chinese institutions had analysis showing US APT (advanced persistent threat) groups spread “disinformation”, hyping up the Chinese cyber attack threat, Mr Lin said. “(The US is) using its tech predominance to carry out massive cyberspace surveillance all over the world,” he said. The Australian government report says APT40 is actively conducting regular reconnaissance against networks of interest in Australia, looking for opportunities to compromise its targets. “The tradecraft described in this advisory is regularly observed against Australian networks,” it says in the Australian Signals Directorate report. The APT40 group conducts malicious cyber operations for the People’s Republic of China Ministry of State Security, it says in the report.

>>21185603 Australia and allies must spend more on defence to stop ‘peril’ of our times, Kurt Campbell warns - Australia, the US and other allied nations must increase their defence budgets and military preparedness because of the “enormous peril” of the times we live in and China’s increased strategic co-operation with Russia, Iran and North Korea, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell has warned. Dr Campbell is Washington’s single most influential policy figure on Asia. He became Deputy Secretary of State after three years in the White House as the national security council co-­ordinator on the Indo-Pacific. In the Obama administration, he was assistant secretary of state for East Asia and before that held important positions in the Pentagon. In a first for any US administration, Dr Campbell told The Australian that China was actively seeking to establish a military base in the South Pacific. The Australian government believes such a development would be catastrophic for Australian and New Zealand security, but Washington and Canberra have previously been shy of explicitly and publicly calling out Beijing’s military intentions. This Chinese ambition poses a permanent challenge for Australian and American diplomacy. “They’re looking across the Pacific,” Dr Campbell said. “This is something where we’re never going to be able to rest.” He said Chinese interests in the South Pacific extended far beyond a military base: “They’re looking for a variety of things. There are vast fishing resources in the Pacific which are being over-fished by Chinese fishing fleets. “When China looks at its space operations, they need nodes on the ground. They’ve built some of those nodes in the South Pacific. “They’re looking for steaming sites, places for resupply and power projection.”

>>21217753 Xi meets PMs of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu; visits deepen bilateral ties - "Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Jeremiah Manele and Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu Charlot Salwai in Beijing on Friday. During the meeting with Manele, Xi said that China is ready to enhance strategic communication with the Solomon Islands to firmly support each other in safeguarding core interests and addressing major concerns, enhance the synergy between the Belt and Road cooperation and the development strategy of the Solomon Islands. China's friendly cooperation with the Solomon Islands and other Pacific Island countries is a sincere effort to assist these island nations in achieving development, falls within the framework of South-South cooperation, and is part of the common development of the Global South, without targeting any third party or seeking any selfish gain, he said. When meeting with Salwai, Xi said China will continue to provide economic and technical assistance to Vanuatu without attaching any political conditions, to help it achieve development and prosperity. Xi emphasized that China is committed to equality among all countries, big or small, and adheres to the principle of combining justice with interests while prioritizing justice. China does not seek major-power competition or geopolitical spheres of influence. It does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries or force them to take sides." - GT staff reporters - globaltimes.cn

#36 - Part 99

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 1

>>20890947 Abuse victim sues parole board for letting paedophile priest Michael Glennon access children - A man who says he was raped as a boy by paedophile priest Michael Glennon is suing Victoria’s parole board for failing to restrict Glennon’s access to children after his release from jail. Lawyers involved in the Supreme Court case believe it is the first attempt in Victoria to extend culpability for historical clerical abuse beyond the Catholic Church to the government statutory body responsible for releasing convicted paedophiles into the community. John Rule, a principal lawyer for Maurice Blackburn who specialises in abuse cases, said the church, the Adult Parole Board and the parole officer responsible for supervising Glennon had all failed to protect his client, who is suspected to have been one of dozens of children sexually abused by Glennon in the 1970s and ’80s at a youth camp near Lancefield. “They knowingly and almost expressly allowed Glennon to work with the Peaceful Hand Youth Foundation while fully aware that he had been convicted of serious sexual offences against a child,” Rule said. Glennon is currently the subject of a separate damages claim before the Supreme Court in which two Aboriginal men are attempting to sue the Pope over Rome’s failure to defrock the paedophile priest despite successive Melbourne archbishops petitioning the Vatican to do so. Pope Francis, in documents filed with the court, has flagged his intention to claim legal immunity from Australian laws as a foreign head of state. That case returns to court in August.

>>20909278 Police charge disgraced AFL player Barry Cable with sexual abuse of young girl in 1960s - WA police have charged disgraced AFL footballer Barry Cable with child sexual abuse after he allegedly assaulted a young girl in the 1960s. Child Abuse Squad detectives say they charged the 80-year-old as a result of their investigation into historical child sexual abuse allegations. It will be alleged during 1967 and 1968, Cable sexually assaulted a girl who was between nine and 10 years old at the time. He has been charged with five counts of indecently dealing with a girl under 13 and two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 13 years. The charges come less than a year after Cable was found to have abused a young girl in the 1960s during a civil matter. A Perth judge ruled he had sexually abused the woman - now aged in her 60s - starting from when she was just 12 years old. She launched a lawsuit against the disgraced former footballer in 2019 and was awarded $818,700 for the "catastrophic" damage she suffered. Four other women gave evidence against Cable during the proceedings, with Judge Mark Herron accepting their testimony that they, too, had been sexually abused by Cable. Cable has always categorically denied all the allegations. He had not faced criminal charges until Friday.

>>20916896 ‘Groomed in minutes’: Warning issued over notorious app Kik - Kik, a dark corner of the internet where child abuse material and users with sinister intentions lurk have authorities warning parents that their children can be groomed “in a matter of minutes”. The instant messaging app was founded in 2010 by Canadian company Kik interactive, and shot to popularity upon its release, attracting one million users in the first 15 days. But its reputation is one plagued with stories of child abuse material, pedophiles and minors exchanging explicit content with sometimes adult users. The Australian Federal Police’s Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) is more than familiar with the notorious app, and have arrested offenders who have accessed illegal content on Kik. AFP acting commander ACCCE and Human Exploitation Stephen Jay said that the centre has received referrals from the United States’ National Center for Missing & Exploited Children relating to Kik and other platforms. “The functionality of messaging and file sharing applications means that offenders can exploit them for a wide range of illegal activity, including accessing and distributing child abuse material,” he told The Weekend Australian. “The experience at the ACCCE is that offenders will gravitate to any platform known to be used by children.”

#36 - Part 100

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 2

>>20922020 Former student alleges historical sexual abuse at St Cecilia's Catholic Primary School in Port Hedland, WA - A former Catholic school student has taken legal action against the church, alleging harrowing sexual abuse at one of its primary schools in northern Western Australia. In a writ lodged with the District Court by former student Michael Cornes, he alleged he was one of several children abused by a teacher and a school chaplain at St Cecilia's Primary School in Port Hedland during the 1990s. Mr Cornes, who has given permission to be identified by the ABC, said he started Year 4 at the school in 1994 and the alleged abuse began days later. The writ, filed in January this year, alleged he was subject to repeated abuse by school chaplain Father Walter McNamara, known as Father Wally, and teacher Brother David Austin Christian, known as Brother David. Mr Cornes alleged in the court document that the abuse occurred nearly every day and involved different boys. The court document alleges Father Wally and Brother David "rewarded" the boys with chocolates, which were put in a stocking to be collected by the boys at the end of the year.

>>20937555 Ex-AFL Hall of Famer Barry Cable pleads not guilty to child sexual abuse charges after arrest - Former Australian Rules footballer Barry Cable has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a young girl decades ago. Cable, 80, appeared in a Perth court this morning to face five counts of indecently dealing with a girl under 13, and two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 13. Police allege Cable sexually assaulted the complainant between January 1, 1967 and April 27, 1968, when she was between nine and 10 years old. Represented by high profile lawyer Tom Percy K.C., Cable appeared in court on Thursday supported by his sons. He pleaded not guilty to all seven charges. It is the first time Cable has appeared in public since a District Court judge's finding, in a civil case, that he repeatedly sexually abused a young girl in the 1960s and 70s when he was at the height of his playing career. The judge found that the abuse started when the girl was 12. The woman was awarded more than $800,000 for what Judge Mark Herron found was the "catastrophic" damage she suffered. Despite the ruling, the woman's lawyers said it was unlikely she would receive any money because the court was told before trial Cable had been declared bankrupt. The standard of proof in civil cases is the "balance of probabilities", which is a lesser standard than in criminal cases, which requires a finding of "beyond a reasonable doubt". Cable has always denied the allegations and he has never been charged with any offences relating to the woman.

>>20955131 Federal government to introduce ban on sharing of non-consensual deepfake pornography - People who share deepfake pornography will face serious criminal penalties as part of legislation being introduced into federal parliament. A deepfake is an image or video in which a person's face or body has been altered to make it appear they are doing or saying something that never actually happened. There has been an increase in pornographic deepfake images generated by artificial intelligence, prompting the move from the federal government to ban the sharing of non-consensual digitally created and altered sexually explicit material. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the non-consensual sharing of such images was a "damaging and deeply distressing form of abuse". "We know it overwhelmingly affects women and girls who are the target of this kind of deeply offensive and harmful behaviour. It can inflict deep, long-lasting harm on victims," Mr Dreyfus said. "The Albanese government has no tolerance for this sort of insidious criminal behaviour. "The government's reforms will make clear that those who share sexually explicit material without consent, using technology like artificial intelligence, will be subject to serious criminal penalties." The sharing of non-consensual deepfake sexually explicit material will carry a penalty of six years in jail.

#36 - Part 101

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 3

>>20976422 An abuse victim got $50,000 through the National Redress Scheme. He fought on, and settled for $500,000 - A victim of historical sexual abuse at the former Bayswater Boys’ Home has reached a $500,000 settlement with the Salvation Army, after receiving just $50,000 under the National Redress Scheme. The case raises significant concerns about the capacity of the redress scheme to adequately compensate victims of historical abuse. Under the scheme, payments are capped at $150,000 and require recipients to waive their legal rights to sue the organisation involved. Geoff, who asked for his surname not to be used because he is a victim of sexual assault, was initially sent to the former Baltara Reception Centre in Parkside, in Melbourne’s north-east, which provided accommodation for boys involved in minor offending or who were wards of the state. He was transferred to the Bayswater Boys’ Home in about 1971, where he was abused by three staff members over almost four years. Two of the men accused in court documents of the sexual assaults were later jailed after being convicted of assaulting other vulnerable children in their care. Geoff received a $50,000 payment in 2019 from the National Redress Scheme, which identified the state government and the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services as being culpable for the abuse. “As Baltara Reception Centre no longer exists, the state of Victoria is their representative. I found the Department of Health and Human Services equally responsible,” says NRS correspondence from August 2019. The decision by the NRS to ignore the abuse that occurred at Bayswater Boys’ Home allowed Geoff to launch a separate civil court action against the Salvation Army in 2022, which was recently settled before trial with a payment of $500,000. The disparity in payments casts doubt over the ability of the redress scheme to provide fair compensation.

>>21030435 FBI investigating Two by Twos for historical child sexual abuse claims, including in Australia - The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched an international investigation into child sexual abuse within a secretive Christian sect that has followers throughout Australia. The global fundamentalist sect does not have an official name. It is referred to by believers as The Truth or The Way, or by non-believers as the Two by Twos, or the Church with No Name. Believers of the church meet in people's homes for prayer sessions, with the group's ministers moving between the different cities and countries where followers are based. In February in the United States, the FBI launched a probe into the group after widescale reports of abuse were publicised by the BBC earlier this year. A hotline for former members who have experienced sexual abuse within the sect in Australia and New Zealand has received allegations involving about 130 separate people. The sect's Australian leaders said they had a "zero-tolerance" to "any child being harmed" and would "cooperate fully" with the FBI or other law enforcement if contacted.

>>21049488 ‘We failed’: Victoria flags truth-telling process for child abuse victims - For Glen Fearnett, the past few years have been about hope. Hope that he would be heard. Hope that those who heard would listen. And hope that by speaking out about the sexual abuse he suffered as a child at a Melbourne bayside school, things would change. On Wednesday, the Allan government announced it would adopt all recommendations in a board of inquiry report that found a cluster of abuse at Beaumaris Primary School in the 1960s and ’70s was insidious but not isolated. Fearnett had pinned his hopes on recommendation three in the board of inquiry’s findings, delivered in February. Of the nine recommendations, this was the one he most wanted to see adopted: a truth-telling process that would give victim-survivors a voice. A chance to be heard in a supportive setting. “I’m now hopeful that things have changed,” Fearnett said, following Premier Jacinta Allan’s commitment that survivors of child sexual abuse would be given a platform to tell their stories. As Fearnett expressed hope, Allan acknowledged failure. Victoria had not kept children safe from a cluster of historical abuse cases at schools, including Beaumaris Primary School. “We make a clear and simple acknowledgement - we failed,” Allan said as she stood beside Deputy Premier Ben Carroll, who is also education minister. “We failed to keep these children safe. We failed to listen when they spoke out. We failed to act to ensure that it did not happen again,” she said. The statewide independent truth-telling process will hear from victim-survivors about abuse at government schools before 2000.

#36 - Part 102

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 4

>>21054559 Anglican Church defends decision not to inform WACA about paedophile Roy Wenlock - Victims of abuse at the hands of a serial paedophile and WA cricket identity Roy Wenlock are attempting to sue the Anglican Church, alleging it failed to protect them by disclosing what they knew about his behaviour. Wenlock, who's now deceased, offended against children when he worked for Anglican Church hostels between 1963 and 1977, and continued abusing boys during a 29-year career at the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA). The extent of his abuse was laid bare in a sweeping 2012 parliamentary inquiry investigating systematic sexual abuse at state-run hostels in WA. On Thursday, in the District Court in Perth, lawyers for two men who claim they were abused by Wenlock while he was employed by the WACA in the early 1990s argued to include the Anglican Church in their legal action. But the church's lawyers say it did not have a duty of care to inform the WACA that a known paedophile had gone to work for the organisation and is seeking to have the claims struck out. Geoffrey Bourhill SC told the court a legal duty of care "could not be found to exist". Mr Bourhill said courts had emphasised that a person did not have a duty to protect someone from the conduct of a third person. He said there was "no basis on which it can be said" the church "had any control over what happened to the plaintiffs".

>>21077046 Judge lashes Xavier College’s ‘troubling’ conduct in school abuse claim - The religious order that runs Catholic boys’ school Xavier College is facing a multimillion-dollar lawsuit after a Supreme Court judge overturned a settlement struck to compensate the victim of a “serial recidivist paedophile” who abused a student at the elite school. The victim, a 69-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, successfully appealed the agreement struck in August 2011 between him and the Society of Jesus in Australia, which included a term that Xavier College in Kew cover tuition for his two sons and pay him $150,000. In a decision released last week, the victim claims priest Noel Bradford abused him in 1968 and 1970 while he was a boarder. The former student is now claiming loss of past earnings and superannuation of between $1,248,791.62 and $4,952,307.62 in damages. The Society of Jesus in Australia, more commonly known as the Jesuits, runs Xavier College and would be financially liable for any settlement. The college declined to comment. The Jesuits have accepted the 1968 abuse allegation but have not admitted the alleged instance of abuse in 1970. Supreme Court associate justice Mary-Jane Ierodiaconou overturned and criticised the settlement deed because the victim did not have a lawyer when it was struck, and no Jesuit or school staff told him to report the matter to police.

>>21077070 Victorian Supreme Court judge: ‘reasonable’ to set aside alleged sex abuse settlement deed for former Xavier College student - A former Xavier College student could seek almost $5m in dam­ages after a judge ruled it was just and reasonable to set aside a settlement deed over historic sex abuse claims against a priest alleged to be a “well known toucher of boys” at the Melbourne elite private school. The plaintiff, a 69-year-old who will be referred to as “P”, alleges he was abused twice by priest Noel Bradford in 1968 and 1970 while he was a student and is now seeking to claim between $1,248,791.62 and $4,952,307.62 in damages for past pecuniary loss and loss of future earning ­capacity. A settlement deed inked in Aug­ust 2011 between P and The Society of Jesus in Australia stated that the victim would receive a $150,000 payout and free tuition for his two sons to attend Xavier College, in exchange for the defendant to be released from any future lawsuits. Victorian Supreme Court judge Mary-Jane Ierodiaconou last week ruled it was just and reasonable to set aside the settlement deed. Justice Ierodiaconou found that legal barriers, namely the plaintiff’s claim was subject to a statute of limitations and legal identity barriers, materially impacted his decision to enter into a settlement deed. In his deposition, P said: “I had no idea what my claim was really worth. In the end, the Jesuits offered me $150,000 and I took it. “It seemed like a modest sum, given what I had been through, but I was very aware that this was my only avenue for getting some compensation from them.” He also submitted that children at Xavier College were abused by staff and priests before his alleged abuse, and that the school ought to have known this.

#36 - Part 103

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 5

>>21131206 Former Vatican auditor Libero Milone vows to get to the truth: -George Pell’s death ‘shrouded in mystery’- The Vatican’s first auditor-general, Libero Milone, has described the death of cardinal George Pell as “shrouded in mystery” and revealed he made a heartfelt vow to “get to the truth” for his colleague while paying final respects at his coffin in Rome. Milone, a former partner with multinational accounting giant Deloitte is the only man left alive of the high-powered trio – led by Pell – who launched Pope Francis’s reforms of the Holy See’s ­corrupt, sclerotic financial systems. But on June 18, 2017 - 11 days before Pell had to return to Australia to face historic child sexual abuse charges – Milone and his deputy, the late Ferruccio Panicco, a specialist forensic accountant, were sacked in mysterious, violent circumstances. As Milone prepares for the start of an appeal hearing on Wednesday over his and Panicco’s sackings, the former auditor-general said Pell’s success in overturning his convictions on child-sex offences proved that “some ­judicial systems are efficient and effective”. And amid rumours swirling around the Vatican about Pell’s death and the state of his body post-autopsy, Milone said: “At his funeral, at his casket, I promised him that we would seek out the truth.”

>>21132756 Andrew Bolt:Final indignity for George Pell should cause shame- "For a year I’ve kept a secret that infuriated me about the death last year of Cardinal George Pell - the final insult to a great and innocent man. I’d promised not to reveal it to spare Pell’s grieving family. But one line in an article in The Australian on Wednesday, and a call to Pell’s brother, leaves me now free to say what I learned - or most of it. It’s this line, in a story on the financial scandals that Pell as the reforming Vatican treasurer was exposing until he was falsely, bizarrely and conveniently accused of abusing two boys at once in an open room in his busy cathedral: “Rumours have swirled around the Holy See for months that Pell’s body was left in post-autopsy disarray and not been properly dressed sparking further concerns about his last hours.” I don’t buy conspiracy theories about Pell’s death, but I do know about the state of his body after the Vatican sent it to Australia for burial. In Rome, some mourners had been surprised that Pell’s body was not shown there in an open coffin. When his body later arrived in Sydney, a Pell confidant at the opening of the coffin could see why not. The body had been treated with gross disrespect. Perhaps it was incompetence, but some of Pell’s closest associates told me they suspect it could be a sign that some in the Vatican had not forgiven Pell for hunting down corruption. After reading the Australian I rang Pell’s brother, David, to check what he knew of what had been done to the Cardinal’s body. It turns out he had learned many of the details, despite our attempts to shield him. “The embalming had been mucked up,” he said. The undertaker in Sydney had to clean the body. Pell’s nose was also broken. I’ll leave out some other details. Pell was also shoeless, said David Pell. In fact, I’d been told he wasn’t just shoeless - Pell’s clothes had been just thrown in the coffin. It is true that, outwardly, the Vatican did Pell full honours at his death, with a packed service at St Peter’s, attended by the Pope. For all his media haters in Australia, Pell remains admired by many around the world as a true man of God, a reformer, a leader and a man persecuted for his faith, falsely jailed for 404 days. But the Vatican should be ashamed to have treated his body so shabbily." - Andrew Bolt - heraldsun.com.au

>>21132756 Q Post #2590 - [Cardinal Pell] - Dark to LIGHT. Q - https://qanon.pub/#2590

>>21132756 Q Post #2594 - >He was the vatican treasurer I'm sure that carries some weight - #3 in the pecking order. Define 'pecking' [animals]. Q - https://qanon.pub/#2594

>>21132756 Q Post #2894 - Many more to come? Dark to LIGHT. Q - https://qanon.pub/#2894

#36 - Part 104

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 6

>>21136721 Video:Andrew Bolt says the Vatican should be 'deeply ashamed' about how they treated George Pell's body before it was sent back to Australia- Sky News host Andrew Bolt has claimed Cardinal George Pell's body had been "mucked up" - with the nose broken and his clothes simply thrown into the coffin - before it returned to Australia after his death. Pell died at the age of 81 in a Rome hospital in Italy on January 10, 2023 as a result of complications from a routine hip surgery. His body was embalmed by the Vatican before a requiem mass was held for him at St Peter's Basilica. Pell's body was then flown home to Australia where his funeral took place at St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney on February 1. Sky News host Andrew Bolt revealed graphic details of the process on Wednesday night as he described how a confidante of Pell who was at the opening of the Cardinal's coffin found his body had been treated with "gross disrespect" in what the host described as a "final insult" to a "great and innocent man." Bolt called Pell's brother David to confirm if he knew about what had happened to the Cardinal's body. “As he confirmed, the embalming, in his words, had been mucked up, or buggered up," Bolt said. "A Sydney undertaker had to clean the body - Pell's nose had also been broken. Pell was also shoeless. "In fact, I'd been told he wasn't only shoeless - all his clothes had simply been just thrown in the coffin." The host said the Cardinal was still given an appropriate farewell by the Vatican but that it should be "ashamed" over how his body was treated.

>>21136668 Video: Senior Tasmanian police officer Paul Reynolds groomed more than 50 boys and young men, final report finds - A senior Tasmanian police officer was a paedophile who groomed more than 50 boys and young men over three decades before his death by suicide in 2018, an independent report has found. A review by former war crimes prosecutor Regina Weiss into Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds' conduct found the extent of his grooming and sexual abuse between 1988 and 2018 was "truly shocking and horrific". Reynolds took his own life while under investigation over multiple child sexual abuse offences in 2018, but was given a full police funeral with honour guard in Launceston, a decision Police Commissioner Donna Adams has since apologised for. The review heard from 15 victim-survivors of Reynolds, and identified up to 52 males who were at minimum groomed by him over a 30-year period, with some resulting in sexual abuse. It found Reynolds was sending explicit messages to "no less than nine teenage boys up to the day of his death". Ms Weiss recommended Tasmania Police establish restorative processes and a redress scheme for people who were groomed and sexually abused by Reynolds, plus a similar framework for people groomed or abused by other police officers.

>>21148935 George Pell ‘a ticking time bomb’, says family - George Pell’s family has no ­complaints about his medical treatment in Rome’s Salvator Mundi Hospital and the autopsy report of his death, which they have had translated and scrutinised by Australian doctors. The Cardinal, who had several serious heart conditions, the first dating back to the 1990s, was “a ticking time bomb’’, his brother, David Pell, told The Weekend Australian. David Pell said his brother’s body was dressed but the vestments “weren’t on in the correct sequence”. His brother’s nose “was askew’’ and “could have been ­broken by the lid of his tight fitting coffin’’ which was zinc lined. Or, as a medico suggested, the Cardinal’s nose could have been damaged by hospital tubes while nursing staff were trying to revive him. The late Cardinal’s size 14 shoes were not on, Mr Pell said, because there was no room. They were in the coffin and the family asked the undertaker to give them away. They went to a St Vincent de Paul shop in Sydney. Mr Pell did not see his brother’s body in Rome. It was transferred to Australia immediately after the funeral Mass in St Peter’s Basilica. Mr Pell decided the coffin should not be open at St Mary’s Cathedral because the embalming “was not up to scratch’’ and by the time of the funeral on February 2 the Cardinal had been dead for three weeks.

#36 - Part 105

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 7

>>21149132 Pope Francis excommunicates archenemy Archbishop Vigano - The Vatican on Friday excommunicated its former ambassador to the US after finding him guilty of schism, an inevitable outcome for Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano. The conservative had become one of Pope Francis’ most ardent critics and a symbol of the polarised Catholic Church in the United States and beyond. While once enjoying support in the Vatican and US church hierarchies, the Italian archbishop alienated many as he developed a fringe following while delving deeper into conspiracy theories on everything, from the coronavirus pandemic to what he called the “great reset” and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Vatican’s doctrine office announced the penalty after a meeting of its members on Thursday and informed Vigano of its decision on Friday. It cited Vigano’s public “refusal to recognise and submit to the Supreme Pontiff, his rejection of communion with the members of the church subject to him, and of the legitimacy and magisterial authority of the Second Vatican Council”. The excommunication, which Vigano incurred automatically with his positions, means he is formally outside communion with the church, and cannot celebrate or receive its sacraments. The crime of schism occurs when someone withdraws submission to the pope or from the communion of Catholics who are subject to him.

>>21159645 Video: 'Beast Boy' now facing dozens more bestiality, child abuse material charges - Sex crimes detectives have levelled dozens of extra charges against a man, allegedly known online as 'Beast Boy', who police believe was one of the state's worst bestiality offenders. Colin Baker, 38, was arrested on April 30 by specialist officers under Strike Force Trawler, the team investigating the abuse and exploitation of children on the internet and telecommunication devices. The Mid North Coast man, who police claim was known online under the pseudonym Beast Boy, stands accused of using encrypted messaging apps to share material that involved the sexual abuse of animals like dogs, sheep, goats, chickens and a dead kangaroo. Police initially laid 20 charges against Baker and he was ordered to remain in custody. Police on Monday confirmed further analysis of seized electronics and hard drives allegedly led investigators to identify thousands of videos and images of bestiality and child abuse material. Police confirmed on Monday that 29 more charges were to be laid against Baker when he fronted Taree Local Court on July 8. The additional charges included seven counts of bestiality, five counts of possessing and disseminating bestiality material, committing an act of cruelty upon an animal, possessing child abuse material, and 15 counts of using a carriage service to access, transmit and solicit child abuse material.

>>21188830 Player sues Cricket Australia claiming sexual assault by coach - Cricket Australia is facing accusations it failed to protect junior cricketers from sexual abuse after a claim it allowed a player to be molested by a coach during a tour of India in 1985. Dean Raymond Reynolds, now 57, is suing the sport’s governing body for more than $4m in the Queensland Supreme Court alleging assistant coach Robert ‘Bob’ Bitmead sexually assaulted him on the U19 Australian tour of India and Sri Lanka in 1985. According to the claim lodged with the court, the assault occurred when Mr Reynolds, then aged 17, fell sick with gastroenteritis and was lying on his bed in a Mumbai hotel room. After being given an injection by team doctor Malcolm McKenzie reportedly to treat the stomach illness, Mr Reynolds alleged he was approached by Mr Bitmead who proceeded to massage his penis without his permission. “The plaintiff was groggy and in a semiconscious state but nonetheless protested to Bitmead,” according to court documents. “Bitmead stated he was there to make the plaintiff feel better. Bitmead continued to stroke and masturbate the penis of the plaintiff for approximately a minute. The plaintiff then lost consciousness.” He claims the assault effectively destroyed his cricketing career as well as a later role with Qantas after he developed an alcoholic abuse disorder linked to the alleged abuse.

#36 - Part 106

Child Sexual Abuse, Pedophilia, Human Trafficking and Satanism Investigations - Part 8

>>21188964 Video: Christian Brothers criticised over absence at parliamentary inquiry into child sexual abuse in WA institutions - The Christian Brothers have been accused of hiding from public scrutiny and giving "bogus" reasons for a last-minute decision to not appear before a parliamentary committee inquiry into child sex abuse. The religious order baulked at proposed questions about one of their now-deceased brothers allegedly abusing schoolboys in Western Australia, claiming it could compromise current civil child sex abuse proceedings. The Christian Brothers Oceania provincial leader Brother Gerard Brady was slated to face questions in Perth on Thursday morning, but late yesterday afternoon confirmed he would not attend. It's a move that has attracted criticism from sexual abuse survivors. "Clearly, they're not prepared to be open and transparent with the Australian community, and particularly survivors," Terry Martino, from the group Survivors of Child Abuse said. "It's devastating. [Survivors] want the truth to be revealed." Mr Martino called on Catholic Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe to act. "I ask him to insist to the Christian Brothers they appear before this inquiry, because if he doesn't do that, then clearly he's condoning their conduct," he said.

>>21217774 ‘The system needs to catch up’: Push to abolish suspended sentences for child sex offenders - A push to abolish suspended sentences for convicted child sex offenders will go to state parliament as part of a bill to overhaul punishments for paedophile rapists and abusers. Abuse survivor and campaigner Stewart Carter - who watched the teacher who sexually abused him as a child walk free from court without ever spending a day in jail – is calling on the state government to back the state opposition’s bill. “If this bill passes it’ll show that justice is attainable irrespective of when the offending happened,” he said. Carter said existing sentencing practices allowed those responsible for child sex crimes committed before 2011 to receive wholly suspended jail terms, which he said is out of touch with community expectations. He said the catalyst for his call for change was his personal experience of watching the man who abused him as a child in the ’80s avoid a custodial sentence. “If an offence happened in 1985, you are tried, convicted and sentenced against the law of the day,” he said. “Societal views and expectations around these crimes have since seen the law change, but the system needs to catch up.” In October, this masthead revealed that Carter’s abuser - 68-year-old Gary Bloom - was handed a three-year wholly suspended sentence in the County Court over three charges of indecently assaulting Carter in 1985, who was then aged 10. Bloom pleaded guilty but avoided spending any time in jail.

>>21242744 (pb)

>>21245847 (pb)

Australians warned to expect lingering issues after worldwide IT outage recovery

Ashleigh McMillan - July 20, 2024

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Australians have been warned to expect “teething issues” following a worldwide cyber crash which brought down computer systems and grounded planes across the country.

The outage struck just after 3pm (AEST) on Friday and hampered banking services, airport check-ins and supermarkets across the world, and forced laptops to shut down.

Cyber Security Minister Clare O’Neil said while the country was now in the “recovery phase” of responding to the issue, the outage was a “serious incident” for the Australian economy.

At a press conference in Melbourne on Saturday, O’Neil said the government’s priority was ensuring people could access the services they need, and it was too early to ascribe blame for the chaos.

“I’ve seen it reported that this is the biggest IT outage in world history, and that is absolutely possible. It’s certainly the largest [outage] in the time that I’ve been alive,” she said.

“This is a really significant incident that’s occurred here, and there will be a long run of discussion about what we’ve learned and who is ultimately responsible, but those are not questions for today.”

O’Neil said she could not provide an estimate on the number of businesses affected or the cost to the Australian economy.

The outage was caused by a fault in the “Falcon sensor” used by US-based cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike after a defective software update was launched. The company confirmed that the issue was not caused by a cyber hack.

The sensor is installed on many business computers to gather security data. The fault had a major impact on Microsoft systems worldwide.

CrowdStrike founder and CEO George Kurtz apologised in a statement on Saturday morning, and said the company would be transparent about steps they were taking to ensure this never happened again.

Emergency services were online on Saturday, with no interruption to triple-zero calls.

O’Neil said while most technical issues were resolved on Friday night, Australians would still notice some “teething issues” at places like supermarkets and airports on Saturday.

“Shelves are fully stocked. We don’t have any food shortages … but some of the tellers and some of the checkouts may not be open in all the supermarkets around the country,” she said.

“We’ve seen our major airlines are back online, but there might be internal technical difficulties, for example, with baggage handler systems communicating with the front of the terminal.”

(continued)

>>21258061

Commissioner disagrees with policy allowing Satanist to give opening prayer

Autumn Pitchure - April 25th 2024

OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. - Ottawa County Commissioner Doug Zylstra disagrees with a policy change allowing an ordained minister of Satan to give opening prayer during a board meeting Tuesday.

"In my opinion we had a better policy before the lawsuit, where the commissioners chose who got the chance to speak. The 2023 lawsuit changed our approach," Zylstra said.

The policy change stemmed from a federal lawsuit filed in 2023 by a pastor at St John’s Episcopal Church.

Jared Cramer, the pastor at St John's Episcopal Church, is also an LGBTQ+ advocate who said he was denied his request to deliver the invocation.

Following the complaint, the board updated their policy, allowing anyone to speak regardless of their religious beliefs.

Luis Cypher, head of the Satanic Temple of West Michigan, delivered the opening invocation Tuesday while over a hundred attended, many pushing back against his troubling remarks.

On Tuesday, people choosing to worship Satan, and those worshiping Jesus came face to face. A protest erupting ahead of Tuesday's meeting.

“That which can be destroyed by truth should never be spared its demise. It is done, hail Satan," Cypher said.

Many attending Tuesday's meeting held signs, sang and prayed while disagreeing with the choice to let Cypher speak.

“I am deeply concerned for the grave error that you my leaders, those whom I voted for allowed to happen here," an attendee said.

Followers of Christ held flags with "One Nation under God" while others like Joseph Amorasos prayed for change.

“For the lord has truly risen, hallelujah, let us pray," Amorasos said.

Every chair in the meeting room was filled, while overflow in the hallway sang Amazing Grace.

One woman even held a sign with "My Jesus mercy" while Cypher gave his remarks.

“Let us demand that individuals be judged for their concrete actions," Cypher said.

While some may blame the board of commissioners for allowing the speech to happen, Jeffrey Swartz, a professor of law with Cooley Law School said, "they followed protocol."

"It may offend people but the bottom line is you let everybody do it, or you let no one do it," Swartz said.

“They should reverse the changes and go back to having a prayer before the meeting which were godly prayers," a woman protesting said.

Zylstra said the only requirement for a person to request to give the invocation is to be a resident of Ottawa County.

https://wwmt.com/news/local/ottawa-county-invocation-satan-jesus-god-satanic-temple-prayer-board-meeting-doug-zylstra-speech-lbgtq-lawsuit-lawyer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67sdPOFZHmc

Australia preparing for a post-Biden world

Kat Wong - 22 July 2024

Australia is getting ready to work with either Donald Trump or Kamala Harris after US President Joe Biden revealed he was withdrawing from the race.

The 81-year-old has nominated his vice president to replace him in the November contest against second-time presidential hopeful Mr Trump, and will remain in his role until his term officially ends in January.

Australian politicians are familiar with Ms Harris and Mr Trump, University of Sydney associate professor David Smith said, which means they already understand how the bilateral relationship might work.

"Australia is already preparing for a world after President Biden," he told AAP.

A second Trump term could pose issues for Australian exports after the 78-year-old's campaign began promoting protectionist policies, including large tariffs on Chinese goods, Prof Smith said.

The Republican runner's approach to democracy both internationally and domestically has also worried some Australians.

Mr Trump has previously said he would end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, but it's unclear if that means pushing for Ukrainian territory to be ceded to Russia or other methods.

His rhetoric also affects politics in other countries, with many far-right movements across the world adopting Mr Trump as their global icon.

And within the US, his attempts to undermine the 2020 outcome that evicted him from office by falsely claiming the election had been "stolen" - as well as indications he could do similar if he doesn't win in November - also remain a concern.

"If he loses, I think he does remain a threat to democracy," Prof Smith said.

Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has urged Labor's Anthony Albanese not to "suck up" to "bullies" like Mr Trump.

"America under Trump is a less reliable ally than it has been under Biden or other presidents," he told ABC on Monday.

Ms Harris' approach to foreign affairs has been relatively discrete, but her leadership is unlikely to raise similar concerns.

"She's been one of the lowest-profile vice presidents in my lifetime … which means we don't have any great insight into how she views the world," Prof Smith said.

"For people in the Australian government, I don't think they'll be very worried by the prospect of a Kamala Harris presidency because they would see it as a lot of continuity from the Biden administration."

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‘Great friend of Australia’: PM praises outgoing US President Joe Biden

Samuel Davis - July 22, 2024

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to the service of outgoing US President Joe Biden, declaring him a “great friend of Australia” who championed the historic AUKUS partnership, fought against Russian aggression and campaigned for climate change action.

The 81-year-old announced that he would withdraw from the US presidential race in a letter he posted to social media before later endorsing vice president Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s candidate.

Mr Albanese, who has been on leave in Far North Queensland, took time to recognise the global leader’s legacy, reflecting on the outcomes of several meetings at global summits in recent years.

The trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, first announced in 2021, had served to strengthen the nation’s already strong bond as allies, Mr Albanese said.

“President Biden has a record of engagement in the Indo-Pacific and increasing the relationship through AUKUS which was of course finalised at the meeting that we held in San Diego at the beginning of last year,” the Prime Minister said.

“The AUKUS relationship is just one aspect of the closeness between Australia and the United States.

“It’s also been a period where President Biden has presided over an increase in the economic relationship between our two great nations but also the important co-operation that has taken place in climate change action.

“The (US’s) Inflation Reduction Act is no doubt the most significant piece of legislation to reduce emissions introduced anywhere in the world.”

Mr Albanese recalled a private dinner at the West Wing with the President in 2023 as a key moment in the pair’s relationship.

He first met Mr Biden while he was serving under former president Barack Obama.

“It was one of my first events as Prime Minister to travel to the Quad meeting that was held in Tokyo within days of my election in May of 2022,” he said.

“Since then we have had a number of meetings on the sidelines of international summits but also during my official visit to the United States last year where President Biden and (First Lady) Jill Biden were gracious hosts at an official state dinner as well as the four of us having dinner with my partner Jodie Haydon … in the West Wing.

“We also met with his entire cabinet just outside of the Oval Office and it was a very gracious reception that the President hosted myself in recognition of the important relationship between our two great nations.”

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