Banned Australian Academics Not Planning To Apply For Chinese Visas - Reports

Banned Australian Academics Not Planning to Apply for Chinese Visas - Reports

Australian academics who were banned from entering China do not intend to travel to the Asian country and have not applied for visas, the ABC News broadcaster reported on Thursday

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th September, 2020) Australian academics who were banned from entering China do not intend to travel to the Asian country and have not applied for visas, the ABC news broadcaster reported on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, China's state Global Times newspaper reported that two Australian academics � professor of public ethics at Charles Sturt University in Canberra Clive Hamilton and analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute Alex Joske, who worked as a researcher on Hamilton's book, Silent Invasion �� would be refused entry to China in accordance with the country's entry and exit law. Both scientists, whose works are focused on the Chinese Communist Party's activity, have been critical of Beijing's political influence in Australia. The move is considered to be an apparent tit-for-tat measure after Australia canceled the visas of two Chinese academics.

Hamilton said that he had not applied for a visa and learned about the ban from the newspaper. The professor believes that the decision to deny him entry to the country was linked to tensions between the two countries.

"It is pretty clear from the Global Times article that the banning of myself and Alexander Joske is in retaliation to the Australian Government's exclusion of two Chinese academics," Hamilton told the ABC News broadcaster.

Meanwhile, Joske wrote on Twitter that he had not held or applied for a Chinese visa in years, adding that the ban is another attempt by Beijing to "punish those who shine a light on its activities."

Earlier in September, the Australian authorities revoked the visas of two Chinese academics � Professor Chen Hong, a prominent Chinese scholar, and Li Jianjun, an Australian studies academic � and placed several leading Chinese journalists under investigation as Australia probes allegations of foreign interference surrounding suspended New South Wales member of parliament Shaoquett Moselmane. In particular, the Australian Federal Police is investigating allegations that China attempted to interfere in Australian politics through John Zhang, a former staffer of Moselmane, an allegation Beijing denied.