Premier silent on Chinese visit

THE Chinese ambassador has paid a rare visit to Tasmania, but the State Government will not reveal which departments Cheng Jingye met nor what he discussed with the Premier.

The Government took more than seven hours to confirm Mr Cheng was even in the state yesterday upon questioning from the Mercury – in stark contrast to previous years, when it announced visits from a previous ambassador, delegations from various provinces and even the presence of workers from a state-owned bank.

Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said Premier Will Hodgman’s “apparent reluctance” to confirm his meeting with Mr Cheng was “in very stark contrast to the years he’s spent sucking up to the Chinese Government”.

“Maybe, hopefully, Will Hodgman is waking up to the reality,” Ms O’Connor said.

“The Chinese government is a serial human rights abuser in Tibet and Xinjiang . . . it would be reassuring to think the Liberals are calibrating their unhealthy relationship with this totalitarian regime.”

The Chinese embassy in Canberra could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

University of Tasmania China academic Mark Harrison said the visit showed Beijing’s interest in Tasmania.

“The Chinese consulate in Melbourne normally covers Tasmania, but the consul-general’s position is currently unfilled, so a visit from the ambassador rather than the acting consul-general expresses the significance of the relationship for Beijing,” Dr Harrison said.

He said the context was in Beijing’s focus on Antarctica.

“No doubt Canberra will be taking a keen interest in the ambassador’s visit and any discussions with the Tasmanian government.”

Mr Hodgman yesterday said Mr Cheng was on an official visit but did not say which departments the Canberrabased diplomat would meet nor the purpose of his visit.

“As Premier and Minister for Trade, I regularly meet with senior representatives of key trading partners, ambassadors and high commissioners,” Mr Hodgman said.

In 2105 the State Government announced a visit by then Chinese ambassador Ma Zhaoxu, as well as one by National Committee of the Chinese People’s Consultative Conference vice-chairman Ma Peihua. It celebrated a delegation from Shaanxi province and one from the China Development Bank in the same year.

Last week it announced a delegation from Nova Scotia in Canada.

Last year “China” was mentioned more than 250 times in the House of Assembly and the Government spent $200,000 on a trade mission there.