This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Australia’s attorney general, Christian Porter, has defended the nation’s media against accusations from a Chinese diplomat that it “fabricates stories”, as the government’s plan to crack down on foreign interference in domestic politics looks set to pass the parliament later this month.

In an opinion piece published in the West Australian on Thursday, China’s Perth based consul general, Lei Kezhong, accused the Australian media of repeatedly making up stories about Beijing’s attempts to influence Australian politics.

Asked about the comments during an interview with Perth radio station 6PR, Porter said that reporting on such issues is “not anything to be unexpected, it’s totally to be expected. It’s a healthy and critical part of our democratic system.”

In the opinion piece, Lei pointed out China’s role as a trading partner with Australia, as well as its growing tourism and international student markets, and said a “healthy and stable China-Australia relationship will better serve the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples.”

“However, since the second half of last year, some Australian media have repeatedly fabricated news stories about so-called ‘Chinese influence and infiltration in Australia’, and some Australian politicians have also made irresponsible remarks which are not conducive to the mutual political trust between two countries, putting our bilateral relations in jeopardy,” Lei wrote.

“It is my view that China and Australia, both located in the Asia-Pacific region, are highly complementary in economic advantages and deeply intertwined common interests.

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“... I hope that the Australian media and people from all walks of life here can correctly understand China and China’s development and view China-Australia relations in an objective and positive way.”

In response Porter, who took charge of the government’s foreign interference and anti-spying legislation following George Brandis’s departure, defended the media’s reporting on outside influences.

“Those statements that are made by a free and open press in Australia might be loved or not loved by governments of any particular country overseas, but the reality is that type of free inquiry, free speech and freedom of political communication is just an inherent and immutable part of our system,” he said.

“Media reporting on these issues is not anything to be unexpected, it’s totally to be expected. It’s a healthy and critical part of our democratic system.

“... It’s a simple thing to say the media is fabricating a story, but which particular story is said to be fabricated? Our media is stringent, investigative. They chase every rabbit down every hole.”

Porter’s comments came on the same day he indicated the government would accept the 60 changes the parliament’s bipartisan intelligence committee recommended be made to the foreign interference and espionage bill, which will see it passed by the end of the month.



After acknowledging the original legislation went too far in punishing journalists or non-government organisations which might publish classified documents and was too broad in its definitions of impeding national security earlier this year, the government accepted changes would need to be made for bipartisan support.

But the legislation, announced in December following Labor senator Sam Dastyari’s resignation from the Senate after his second China-related controversy, has strained Sino-Australian relations, leading to a “go-slow” for some Australian export products and criticism from Beijing, and a cooling of diplomatic niceties.

The government has maintained the legislation is not directed specifically at China, and has cited Russian interference in the US election as another reason it is necessary, but Beijing has continued to rebuke the Australian position.

Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s declaration in December, shortly before Dastyari’s forced step down from the Senate, invoking a famous Chinese slogan in Mandarin to declare Australia would “stand up” against attacks on its sovereignty, caused particular consternation, with China lodging a “serious complaint”.

China is Australia’s largest trading partner and the biggest source of foreign political donations.

