The ABC's Bill Birtles and the Australian Financial Review's Michael Smith leave China following police questioning and warnings from the Australian Government that saw them each seek diplomatic refuge.
The ABC and Australian Financial Review have rushed their China correspondents out of the country after police demanded interviews with both journalists, resulting in an extraordinary diplomatic standoff.DFAT issued warnings to the two journalists last week, telling them they should leave China
The saga began early last week, when Australian diplomats in Beijing cautioned Birtles that he should leave China, with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade giving the same advice to ABC's managing director David Anderson in Sydney. They told him he was banned from leaving the country, and that he would be contacted the next day to organise a time to be questioned over a "national security case".
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