Officials’ attempt to ‘block’ formerly detained journalist mars Australia goodwill tour

View In Browser June 17, 2024   Simone McCarthy and Angus Watson Officials' attempt to 'block' formerly detained journalist mars Australia goodwill tour Chinese Premier Li Qiang's four-day visit to Australia this week was set to be focused on repairing long-strained relations between the two countries. But apparent efforts by Chinese officials to stand in front of an Australian reporter during a press briefing have shone a spotlight back on frictions between the countries.   Cheng Lei, a TV anchor who was held in detention in China for more than three years before her release in 2023, told Sky News Australia the officials went to "great lengths" to block her from the cameras during a press event Monday where Li and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed cooperative agreements.   Video footage appears to show two people involved in the incident, with one of them, described by the outlet as a Chinese embassy employee, trying at one point to push closer to a seated Cheng, despite being blocked by another woman, identified by Sky News as an Australian official, who intervenes to give her space.   "I'm only guessing this is to prevent me from saying something or doing something that they think would be a bad look, but that in itself was a bad look," Cheng told Sky News, where she has been employed as a news presenter and columnist since late last year.   Cheng added that such behavior was "typical" as Chinese officials wouldn't want "voices of discord or the presence of someone who's a bit controversial" when they are aiming to present a "friendly facade."   Multiple media outlets that were also in attendance at the press conference, including the Guardian and the Daily Telegraph, reported the same details. CNN has requested comment from China's embassy in Canberra.   China's security state keeps tight control on media and information within the country, where officials are not subject to the kind of robust questioning common to democratic countries.   Beijing has also long been condemned by Western nations and rights groups for wrongful and arbitrary detentions.   Cheng, previously a business anchor for China's state broadcaster CGTN, was detained by Chinese authorities in August 2020 on opaque espionage charges that came as diplomatic tensions were escalating between Beijing and Canberra.   The mother of two spent more than three years in detention before being released by Beijing and returned home to her family in October, weeks before Albanese made the first visit of an Australian leader to China in seven years.   Speaking to Sky News ahead of the news conference Monday, Cheng said it was a "very emotional day" for her to be covering the major visit.   "Surely the fact that one minute I'm sitting in incarceration and being raised as a topic at these visits then the next minute I'm actually covering the visit … is testament to how wonderful freedom is and democracy is," she said.   Keep reading about Li's visit here.   More on China-Australia relations: China to send a new pair of giant pandas to Australia in sign of warming ties Beijing lifts penalties on Australian wine after more than three devastating years Dangerous waters Thousands of people have been evacuated in southeast China after heavy rains hammered the region over the weekend, triggering floods and deadly landslides, authorities and state media said Monday.   According to state-run broadcaster CCTV, over 35,000 people were evacuated from the region as of Saturday. Four people were also killed in a series of landslides further north in coastal Fujian province.   Southern China has faced more intense rainstorms and severe floods in recent years as scientists warn that the climate crisis will amplify extreme weather, making it deadlier and more frequent.   Read more here. The latest fashion trend gripping young people isn't new, but it's lucrative What's old is new again. This time it's a centuries-old skirt design that's proving popular in China. The "mamianqun" or "horse face skirt" is being worn in cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu as young people in China are giving the attire a modern twist, with unconventional pairings and choice of fabrics.   While once the sole purview of "hanfu" enthusiasts (a renaissance of the ancient clothing traditionally worn by ethnic-majority Han Chinese before the Qing dynasty) and reserved for special occasions, the pleated often brocade skirts have become a part of everyday wear.   The popularity of the skirt has been wrapped into a broader trend being dubbed "xinzhongshi," or "new Chinese style" — which merges all manner of contemporary design with traditional Chinese aesthetics, applied to everything from clothing to furniture. While the idea isn't new, and was once considered old-fashioned, the wide-ranging term is being used as a marketing tool on China's lucrative e-commerce platforms, with retailers quick to turn Gen Z's patriotic, and at times, nationalistic sentiments, for profit.   On Chinese social media platforms Weibo and Xiaohongshu, searches for "new Chinese style" and "new Chinese style outfits" hashtags exceeded 100 million in early April, according to state news agency Xinhua. Besides fashion, the posts show everything from stuffed leather armchairs with the curves of traditional Chinese wood furniture to mobile phone wallpapers of landscape paintings.   The state-backed China National Textile and Apparel Council estimates the market size of "new Chinese style" clothing reached 1 billion yuan (nearly 138 million dollars) in 2023.   On Xiaohongshu, a 33-year-old user, who goes by the handle Momo and didn't give her real name for privacy reasons, frequently gives tips on how to style Chinese clothing. In one post, she demonstrated how you can top an oversized pink sweatshirt with a black mamianqun, pairing it with a matching baseball cap and sneakers.   "More and more young people are willing to use traditional culture as a new way to express their attitudes. That's a good thing and very cool," she told CNN in a text message.   Read the full story here.   — From CNN's Christy Choi and Hassan Tayir for CNN Style Around the region An environmental activist from a small town on New Zealand's east coast, is spearheading a movement of Indigenous groups in the Pacific pushing to protect whales, inking a groundbreaking treaty to make them legal persons with inherent rights. An oil spill affecting Singapore has spread beyond a luxury beach resort to a marine reserve and other parts of the island nation as authorities intensify cleanup efforts. At least eight people were killed and dozens of others injured after a cargo train collided with a passenger train in eastern India. Cases of a dangerous and highly fatal bacterial infection have reached record levels in Japan, official figures show, with experts so far unable to pinpoint the reason for the rise. An Indian man suspected of involvement in an unsuccessful plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil has been extradited to the United States. Hyundai Motor's India unit has sought regulatory approval for a stock market listing in Mumbai, which could be the country's biggest. What did you think of today's email? Send us feedback: meanwhileinchina@cnn.com   You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for Meanwhile in China. To stop receiving this newsletter, unsubscribe or sign up to manage your CNN account   Learn more about the CNN app |  Get CNN web alerts  |  Sign up for a free CNN account   ® © 2024 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved. 1050 Techwood Drive NW, Atlanta, GA 30318