Two Australian journalists rushed out of China

Posted on 8 September 2020

Two Australian foreign correspondents based in China (ABC’s Bill Birtles and AFR’s Mike Smith) were flown out of China after a diplomatic standoff. They were threatened with exit bans and questioned about their knowledge of Cheng Lei and Haze Fan. After their departure, there are no Australian journalists working for Australian media left in China.

Two Australian foreign correspondents based in China (ABC’s Bill Birtles and AFR’s Mike Smith) were flown out of China after a diplomatic standoff. They were threatened with exit bans and questioned about their knowledge of Cheng Lei and Haze Fan. After their departure, there are no Australian journalists working for Australian media left in China.

Further reading:
  1. Dispatched: A bittersweet farewell to China
  2. When Chinese State Security police knocked on ABC journalist Bill Birtles’ door, he realised he was no longer safe in China
  3. Australian journalists’ case a reminder of what can happen when you challenge China, and it doesn’t bode well