Many Australians think of China in two ways. The first image is that of an emerging global economic powerhouse, rapidly rising on the back of a colossal working population. The other is of a people increasingly demanding greater political freedom after half a century under a stifling authoritarian regime.
Mr Collaery told reporters this was a sensible decision and inevitable because of the impact on freedom of expression. He said Mr Downer was apparently reluctant to justify his statements that noise and music from demonstrators was impeding the work of Chinese diplomats and offending the dignity of the mission.
Falun Gong practitioners converged outside federal parliament demanding an end to Chinese “concentration camps”. The United Nations is looking into allegations by Falun Gong that thousands of its followers are being held at a Chinese “concentration camp” and some have been killed.
