tirsdag 1. juni 2021

China accuses Morrison and Ardern of ‘gross interference’ on Xinjiang and South China Sea

Beijing has accused the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand of making “irresponsible” comments, after the pair condemned “destabilising activities” in the South China Sea and raised grave concerns about human rights in Xinjiang. China’s foreign ministry says it “firmly opposes” the joint statement issued by Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern after talks in Queenstown, arguing the trans-Tasman allies had “grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs” but would not shake Beijing’s resolve.

Morrison and Ardern sought to minimise any perceived differences in their approach to China when they faced the media in Queenstown on Monday, with the Australian prime minister declaring that “there are those far from here that would seek to divide us”.