Last Updated:2020-09-21

"On Tuesday evening in Beijing, the officially sanctioned English-language GlobalTimes and the government wire service Xinhua both ran stories on the ASIO raids.Xinhua reported that journalists were questioned for "several hours" and digitaldevices and notebooks were seized. Global Times claimed that Australia was"waging an intensifying espionage offensive against China". "Whatever the truth, and how it relates to the Chinese police visiting Australianjournalists, it is all part of the escalating tit-for-tat retaliation from both sides forslights, real or imagined." "At the time, the government knew that Cheng Lei had disappeared - and, if thisweek's Chinese media reports are correct, that ASIO had been authorised to raidChina's media representatives in Australia." "The trouble with the simple-minded "let's get tough on China approach" is that it isa policy without any strategy, a triumph of tactics. The end point is not known. Norwhen victory will be declared - or when the cost of pursuing tit for tat becomes Soheavy that a change of course becomes inevitable." "Unfortunately, Australia these days has a complaisant and supine opposition thatavoids challenging the government or asking questions about ASIO's behaviourand the spreading secrecy that surrounds its activities." "Other Australian journalists are working for foreign agencies in China. Australia,however, is now the only developed country that has none of its own news networks present. Most other countries find ways to manage China's rise withoutharming their own interests. Australia is still to discover how." "As for Cheng Lei, Global Times has hinted darkly that her detention has somethingto do with national security. This is the kind of claim often made while investigations are continuing. It is best for now to treat Cheng's situation and theflight of the Australian journalists as separate, and not part of the tit for tat. ButCheng's circumstances are not helped by the poisonous state of bilateral relations."