Australia politics live: China’s foreign minister to arrive in Canberra amid calls for Penny Wong to demand release of Yang Hengjun

From 44m ago Press China to release Yang Hengjun, rights group say Daniel Hurst Human rights groups have urged the Australian government to demand the immediate release of Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun and press other human rights issues strongly during meetings with China’s top diplomat today. The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, will hold talks with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Canberra today, with trade, regional security and human rights among the topics expected to be raised. Amnesty International has written to Wong saying it “joins Uyghur, Tibetan,…

Australia news live: migrant visa bill passes parliament with Coalition clauses; Optus chief to front Senate hearing

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Chinese migrants believe Australian media fuels hostility towards them, study shows

First-generation migrants from China believe Australian media reporting has fuelled unfriendly or suspicious attitudes towards them, new research shows. The report, published by the University of Technology Sydney, explores the hopes and fears of members of Chinese-Australian communities, including a parent whose child came home from school asking: “Mum, is China going to invade us?” The report released on Wednesday focuses on first-generation Mandarin-speaking migrants from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and outlines the results of a survey of 689 respondents matching that description. The Australia-China Relations Institute at…

Chinese-Australians face fewer racist insults than at height of diplomatic tensions with Beijing, survey finds

Chinese-Australians have continued to experience racist insults but at a lower rate than when diplomatic tensions between Canberra and Beijing erupted in 2020, a new study has found. Polling commissioned by the Lowy Institute indicates one in five Chinese-Australians said they were called offensive names because of their heritage in 2022. But this figure of 21% was four points lower than the result in the same survey in 2021, and down 10 points from 31% in 2020, when the diplomatic rift between the Chinese and Australian governments was most stark.…

China winds back online study ban after students left scrambling to get to Australia

The Chinese government has wound back its snap ban on recognising online degrees obtained from foreign institutions after tens of thousands of students were left scrambling for flights. The ban, announced on Saturday, required all Chinese students enrolled to study online with overseas providers to be on campus for semester one – due to start in a matter of weeks in Australia. At the time of the announcement there were about 50,000 Chinese nationals with student visas for Australia but remained offshore, 8,000 of whom had visas due to expire…

Australia’s credibility on human rights blighted by laws targeting climate protesters and jailing children, report says

The detention of children under 14 and new laws targeting climate protesters are harming Australia’s credibility to stand up for human rights in the region, a leading rights body has warned. Human Rights Watch called on Australia to address its own “alarming deficiencies” when the organisation on Thursday published its annual reports on the performance of nearly 100 countries. It specifically raised alarm about New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania introducing “new laws targeting peaceful climate and environmental protesters with disproportionate punishments and excessive bail conditions”. The organisation took aim…

Australia news live: ‘couldn’t think of anything more distressing for victim-survivors’ – Daniel Andrews rules out George Pell state funeral

From 44m ago No state funeral service for George Pell: Victorian premier Benita Kolovos Victoria’s premier, Daniel Andrews, says there will not be a state funeral service for George Pell out of respect for victims of institutional child sexual abuse. Asked if Pell, who died on Wednesday morning AEDT from heart complications arising from hip replacement surgery in Rome, would receive a state-funded service, he replied that he would not: I couldn’t think of anything that would be more distressing for victim-survivors than that. <gu-island name="TweetBlockComponent" deferuntil="visible" props="{"element":{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TweetBlockElement","html":" Victoria's premier,…

Anthony Albanese to push ‘family-first’ security treaty in address to Papua New Guinea parliament

Anthony Albanese will seek progress on a new security treaty during a visit to Papua New Guinea, pushing a “family-first approach” amid increasing competition with China for influence in the Pacific. On Thursday the Australian prime minister will become the first foreign government leader to address PNG’s parliament and will say he sees the relationship as “a bond between equals”. Albanese will also declare that other Pacific countries are counting on Australia and PNG to lead on climate action, warning there is “not a moment to waste”. With sport seen…

Australia news live: Chinese envoy warns against allowing differences to ‘hijack’ ties, severe storms for Queensland

From 51m ago Chinese envoy warns against allowing differences to ‘hijack’ ties Daniel Hurst China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, has warned against allowing differences between the two countries to “hijack” the overall relationship. Addressing the media at the Chinese embassy in Canberra, he said 2022 had been an “extraordinary” year for the relationship between China and Australia. The change of government had provided an opportunity for a reset, he said. Xiao said both sides considered the relationship to be a comprehensive strategic partnership. Differences and disputes remained, he said,…

When my family was reunited in Australia, I had to learn to be a dad to a son I’d never met | Sadam Abdusalam

In December 2020, I finally got what I fought so hard for: my family back. I was over the moon when I was reunited with my wife Nadila and son Lutfi after being forced apart for three and a half years. I could finally hold my baby boy in my arms – every father’s dream. I was able to go on dates with my love; watch TV and eat dinner together as a family. They may sound like simple things, but not for us. Like many Uyghurs, we had been…