CCP supporter claims China criticism is ‘fake news' as she clashes as with Sky News host

Sky News AU

18-07-2025

A Chinese Communist Party supporter has clashed with a Sky News journalist on the streets of Melbourne in a heated debate over the topic of freedom of speech in China.
Sky News host Cheng Lei, who was released from a Chinese jail only two years ago after spending three years behind bars, on Friday visited Melbourne's Box Hill – an eastern suburb of the city that has a significant Chinese population for their reactions to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's six-day visit to China.
The journalist spoke to a number of locals in Box Hill about what they thought of Mr Albanese's visit - including one woman who expressed her support for the CCP.
The woman said she thought Mr Albanese's trip was 'very good' for Australia-China relations, which she claimed had suffered under the previous Scott Morrison government.
'It was Australia's fault. Us, China, we've always been open and inclusive. Morrison was coerced by the US,' the woman asserted.
The woman outlined her support for the CCP, insisting without the party, 'how can there be such a wonderful China?'.
Lei then questioned the woman about a lack freedom of speech in China, which the woman immediately shut down.
'Impossible. China definitely has freedom of speech,' the woman replied.
Lei pressed her further on the topic, saying 'If you said one bad thing about the Chinese President in China, you'd go to jail?'.
'Impossible, and it's never happened,' the woman claimed.
'That is all because of internet rumours and fake news," claimed the CCP supporter.
The Sky News host hit back saying 'it's true' people have been imprisoned for speaking out against the Chinese government, revealing her own personal experience of having lived in China.
'I've lived in China 70 years,' the woman said.
'But I work in media,' Lei replied.
'You may be biased. Even if you said something bad about a leader, you would not go to jail. You're talking about the past, many years ago, not now,' the woman told Lei.
The heated interaction comes just a day after Lei warned the Prime Minister not to be 'naive' in China during his visit and that he should not forget the 'fundamental differences' between the two countries.
Lei was a popular presenter and journalist on China's CGTN – a state-owned English-language news channel – when she was secretly taken into custody in August 2020.
She spent a total of 1,154 days in CCP custody before finally being released and returning to Australia in October 2023.
Lei described watching Mr Albanese's trip to China a 'surreal' experience, pointing out that 'two years ago at this time I would have still been in the cell'.
His visit came at a time of heightened tensions in region, with China having conducted live military exercises near Australian waters, sent a spy ship to trawl the coastline and dropped flare in front of an RAAF plane in recent months.
But the prime minister largely steered clear of any conflicting issues with the CCP such as the Darwin Port, China's support for Russia or recent military drills near Australian waters during his talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.