Embassy reveals meetings
THE Chinese embassy says ambassador Cheng Jingye is visiting Tasmania to meet with politicians, academics and businesspeople, as the Government declines to release his itinerary.
Mr Cheng is understood to have met with representatives from the Australian Antarctic Division yesterday after meet- ing separately with Premier Will Hodgman and University of Tasmania vice-chancellor Rufus Black on Monday.
A Chinese embassy spokesman said: “Ambassador Cheng is paying an official visit to Tasmania, and he will meet with local officials and representatives from business and academic field.”
UTAS deputy vice-chancellor (global) Rob Atkinson said the institution’s meeting with Mr Cheng was a “valuable opportunity to learn about China’s interests and priorities”.
“The unique place-based strengths of the university in the blue and green sciences resonate with President Xi Jinping’s priorities for scientific exploration and preservation of the blue and green economies,” Mr Atkinson said. “We also spoke of possible collaborations in the field of dementia care.”
The Premier’s office yester- day confirmed Mr Cheng had met with government representatives on Monday. The Government has previously announced a visit from a former ambassador, high-level bureaucrats and delegations from Chinese provinces and the Chinese Development Bank.
“It is highly improper and very disturbing for the Premier to meet with the Chinese Ambassador and refuse to reveal any information about the purpose of the visit and what was discussed,” Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said yesterday.
A Department of Premier and Cabinet spokeswoman said yesterday that agency’s protocol office routinely helped organise high commissioners, ambassadors and consuls-generals’ tours of Tasmania, and never released details of officials’ visits.
“The Tasmanian Govern- ment doesn’t release details of visit programs — this is a standing agreement with embassies and consulates for security reasons and because they are familiarisation visits, not trade missions or media events,” she said.
The Australian Antarctic Division referred questions to DPAC and the federal Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.