Last two Australian journalists in China flee
Bill Birtles and Mike Smith were initially banned from leaving and spent five days under consular protection until Australian diplomats could negotiate their departure
08 September 2020 - 12:27
Canberra/Beijing — Two Australian journalists based in China have fled the country as diplomatic relations between the trading partners worsen.
Bill Birtles, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Beijing correspondent, and Mike Smith, the Australian Financial Review’s Shanghai correspondent, left the country after Chinese police demanded interviews with them, according to Smith. The men were initially banned from leaving and spent five days under consular protection until Australian diplomats could negotiate their departure...
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