ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much for joining me, there are two issues that I wish to convey to you today. The first is that my government will begin the assisted departure of Australians who want to leave Israel. We understand that many Australians are experiencing difficulties with delays and cancellations with commercial flights. For Australians who do not already have plans to leave through commercial options, Australian Government-assisted departure flights will depart from Friday. I want to thank Qantas for making their facilities available for flights to travel from Ben Gurion Airport to London. Two flights have been organised already. Australians who want to leave Israel on our assisted departure flights must register with the Australian Government's 24 hour consular emergency centre. The numbers for those overseas, including in Israel, are +61 2 6261 3305 or within Australia, 1300 555 135. There will be two flights to begin with and we are working on additional options. I thank, as well, the work that the Foreign Minister Penny Wong has done, the Transport Minister Catherine King, to organise these contingencies, to make sure that we can get Australians who want to leave home as soon as possible. We are assessing all options to get Australians home as soon as possible who wish to travel back here. We've been working on those contingencies over recent times and we will continue to do so across the range of issues as a result of the appalling and abhorrent attacks by Hamas that we saw on the weekend.
The second issue is very much unrelated. Earlier today, I was able to have a conversation with an Australian citizen, Cheng Lei, who has arrived safely here in Melbourne and has been reunited with her two children and her family. She was met at the airport by the Foreign Minister, Penny Wong. Her return brings an end to a very difficult few years for Ms. Cheng and her family. This is an outcome that the Australian Government has been seeking for a long period of time and her return will be warmly welcomed, not just by her family and friends, but by all Australians. When I spoke to Ms. Cheng I welcomed her home on behalf of her Australians. The Australian Government will continue to provide consular support to Ms. Chang and to her family. As has been the case throughout her detention, our focus remains on her interests and welfare. And we ask that her privacy and that of her family be respected at this time as she adjusts to what has obviously been a very difficult and traumatic period for her in her life.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, was anything negotiated to facilitate Ms Lei leaving China and coming to Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: No. We know that this has been the subject of ongoing discussions between the Australian and Chinese government. We've continued to make representations on behalf of Australian citizens. That's what Australian Governments do. And I was pleased to meet with President Xi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali last November. I was also pleased to meet with Premier Li in Jakarta when the ASEAN summit took place just a short time ago, but also to have a discussion with him at the G20 events that occurred in New Delhi. Her release follows the completion of judicial processes in China.
JOURNALIST: Are you aware of those processes resulted in any action or has effectively that have been dismissed by the Chinese government?
PRIME MINISTER: Her matter was concluded through the legal processes in China. This is something that we have advocated for for a long period of time. I pay tribute to all who have made representations, both on the political level, whenever we have met with our Chinese counterparts now that those processes occur, for a while they didn't, but also, at an official's level as well. I pay tribute to the ongoing work that our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade people consistently do extraordinary work for Australian citizens overseas.
JOURNALIST: Can you give us a bit more of a sense, Prime Minister, just what sort of representations Australia made, and what role those representations might have played in securing her return to Australia?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we made the same representation's in private that were made in public, by myself with President Xi, with Premier Li, we had two good constructive meetings. That doesn't mean that everything was agreed. What I've said about the relationship with China very clearly, is that we will cooperate where we can, we will disagree where we must, and we will engage in our national interest. I had the opportunity to have a formal meeting with Premier Li. But also we sat next to each other at the G20 formal dinner as well, that was an opportunity in a less formal way to be able to have discussions and dialogue. Dialogue is always a good idea, even with people who you have disagreements with. That is where understanding can be had. And we know that the Australian people very much wanted to see Cheng Lei reunited with her young kids. She spent three years in in circumstances that were very difficult. I spoke to her about her recent message that she made to the Australian people. She's a very strong and resilient person. When I spoke with her, she was delighted to be back in Melbourne.
JOURNALIST: What is the status of the other Australian that remains in detention in China?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, Dr. Yang, we manage each other these cases as separate consular matters. And so we continue to advocate for Dr. Yang's interests, rights and wellbeing with Chinese authorities at all levels, whether that be in Canberra or in Beijing. We've done so consistently since Dr. Yang was detained in January 2019 and will continue to do so previously suggested.
JOURNALIST: China has previously suggested that she poses a threat to national security. Is this an acknowledgment that there is no threat and that she was wrongfully detained?
PRIME MINISTER: No, China would have not said that that's the position. China would say that the judicial processes had been completed in China.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister with the matter of Cheng Lei being resolved her coming home, obviously with the other Australian in mind, does this improve relations with China now ahead of you, likely visiting the nation later this year? And when exactly do you plan to do that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, I'll send you an invite when we finalise the date. But I will visit this year, I will make an announcement on our own timetable about those specific dates. But we've engaged with China. I said very clearly, when I met with Premier Li in Jakarta, that I would visit China. I confirmed that and I reconfirm it here today. It will be this year. And so we're finalising those details. My diary is often quite a complex exercise. And we will find a mutually agreeable time to confirm. We will travel there and that will be a good thing. Already, I've met with President Xi and sat next to the Defence Minister at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore, where I was the keynote speaker. I've met with Premier Li, our Defence Ministers have met. Our Trade Ministers have met. Our Foreign Ministers have met. That engagement is a good thing. Dialogue is a good thing to occur
JOURNALIST: On Israel, are able to outline if there's any plans for the National Security Committee of Cabinet to meet on that matter?
PRIME MINISTER: What I don't do is foreshadow either past, present or future talk about National Security Committee. And I'm stunned that somehow people think that it's an appropriate political issue to try to secure some advantage of. I find Mr. Dutton's comments, I think they speak for themselves. The way that I deal with National Security Committee and national security issues is to take them seriously. We haven't foreshadowed Cheng Lei's return before this. We don't foreshadow when NSC meets. We don't produce the minutes of NSC. That's the way that national security, diplomacy and intelligence should operate. Not as a political game. These are serious issues. My government has had every single one of the appropriate meetings, forums, discussions, briefings has occurred. And quite frankly, I don't intend to hold press conferences and announce intelligence briefings. And I find it astonishing that some in the media expect that I would.
JOURNALIST: INAUDIBLE
PRIME MINISTER: Well, the part of the issue, of course, is that there are so many Australians in the area that it's not completely clear how many are there, let alone how many are unaccounted for. So what we're doing is working through these issues. We received the confirmation of the tragic murder of Galit Carbone. We made sure that the family were notified appropriately before we made public announcements. That's the right thing to do. We'll continue to do that. Can I once again, I had an opportunity this morning, but I once again, want to convey my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Ms Carbone. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to her family in Israel and in Australia. I've spoken to people who know Ms. Carbone. And it is a loss which is just horrific, what we saw occur on the weekend. Our thoughts are with all those killed and injured in these attacks and all others affected. Australia will continue to do what we can to act appropriately to protect and provide support to Australian citizens.