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SHANGHAI: The raids on Chinese journalists living in Australia are “absolutely appalling” and damage relations between the two countries, the state-run Xinhua news agency said.
The tabloid Global Times, backed by the Chinese state, reported earlier this week that Australian authorities raided the homes of four Chinese journalists residing in the country in June.
“This rude, imperious and unreasonable act was absolutely appalling. It completely exposes the Cold War mentality and the political prejudice of some Australian departments and officials,” a Xinhua spokesman said, according to the agency.
“What they have done not only seriously damages the reputation and image of the Chinese media, but also seriously interferes with normal people-to-people exchanges between China and Australia,” said the spokesman, who was not named.
In addition to the chorus of condemnation, China News Service said on Saturday (September 12) that the raids “seriously violated the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese media reporters stationed in Australia and seriously damaged the physical and mental health of the journalists and their families “.
On Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said such action by Australia “flagrantly violates the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese journalists there and caused serious damage to the physical and mental health of the journalists and their families.”
Australia’s trade minister responded to the reports on Friday saying that security agencies had acted in accordance with the law.
READ: Australia says security agencies acted on evidence in raid of Chinese journalists
Relations between the two main trading partners have become increasingly tense and news of the raids coincided with the departure of two Australian journalists from China.
The couple returned home with the help of consular officials after Chinese state security visited their residences in Beijing and Shanghai and questioned them.
Another Australian citizen, Chinese television host Cheng Lei, was detained by Chinese authorities in August.
