China cancels minister visit to Australia

18 Aug 2009, 4:03 pm   -   Source: AFP, SBS
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Its believed Beijing is angry that Canberra granted a visa to Ms Kadeer, the ethnic Uighur leader .

Its believed Beijing is angry that Canberra granted a visa to Ms Kadeer, the ethnic Uighur leader .

It has emerged that China cancelled a ministerial visit to Australia in protest against a recent visit from the Uighur leader, Rebiya Kadeer.

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The Federal government has announced that China cancelled an official ministerial visit this month in protest over Canberra's decision to give a visa to exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer.
   
A spokesman for Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister He Yafei pulled out of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and was replaced by a more junior envoy.
   
"We regret that the Chinese government has felt obliged to take these steps, since the government's position on the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region is clear," he added.
   
China was represented at the Cairns forum by Wang Yongqiu, special envoy for the Pacific Islands Forum. China has sent higher-level officials to previous   forums, Smith's spokesman said.
   

Kadeer


Kadeer's visit this month was allowed despite strong objections from China, which blames her for deadly unrest in Xinjiang and summoned Australia's ambassador in protest.
   
Chinese foreign ministry officials in Beijing declined to comment when contacted by press.
   
The row is the latest to hit relations between the key trading partners which were tested last month by China's detention of an Australian mining executive on spying allegations, later changed to industrial espionage.
   

'Ham-fisted' approach

Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull accused the government of a "ham-fisted" approach to China, saying relations were at their lowest point in years despite pledges from Mandarin-speaking Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to boost ties.
   
"Our relations with China are at... the lowest ebb they have been for many, many years," Turnbull said.
"(Rudd) has been making an absolutely ham-fisted effort with our diplomatic relations."
   
"He has mishandled relations... he obviously has no leverage with China left at all," Turnbull added.
   
Resource-rich Australia has profited from China's lightning growth over the past decade with two-way trade worth 58 billion dollars (48 billion US) last year, official figures show.

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Your Comments

CHINA

GG5 - from East Fremantle, 3 years ago

China needs to butt out & start helping their own people, stop injustices & human rights abuses that are a way of life, compliments of Communist Chinese Govt.
Mr Turnbull, just what would you do re. Chinese relations - give them what they want? Previous Libs Fed govt helped put most of our eggs in one basket [& reaped massive tax benefits & royalties] in their trade relations with China.
Now China is attempting to dictate to Aus - ie Uighers, Kadeer, Dalai Lama, Melb Film Fest, etc.

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