Victorian premier Dan Andrews' vague six-line explanation of what he is doing ... trends now
Dan Andrews' trip to China has been engulfed in a further secrecy row after he published a vague six-line itinerary of his daily meetings with communist party officials.
The Victorian Premier flew to Beijing on Monday night and is set to attend a number of meetings with senior Chinese politicians to discuss education, trade, and cultural matters.
But he came under fire after banning journalists from accompanying him on his four-day trip to the communist state, despite being the first Australian leader to visit since the coronavirus pandemic began in Wuhan.
Chinese state-owned TV station aired a 2017 interview with Victorian Premier on Monday evening in which he praised the state's relationship with China
Daniel Andrews (pictured in Tiananmen Square in 2015) has not invited any Australian media on his trip to Beijing this week
Peter Greste, chair and spokesperson of the Alliance for Journalists' Freedom, condemned the state leader's decision, saying it was 'hardly appropriate in a democracy'.
Now, Mr Andrews has been blasted for sharing an incredibly scant daily schedule.
The six-line bulletin, issued by the Victoria State Government, just lists a series of names of Chinese officials he is supposedly meeting on Tuesday but with no details about what they will discuss.
The figures include Huai Jinpeng, the Chinese Communist Party's education minister and Dr Yin Yong, Mayor of Beijing.
Laura Jayes, host of the AM Agenda on Sky News Australia, suggested the scant itinerary was 'doing its best to pretend that this trip is boring and insignificant'.
Mr Andrews will meet Huai Jinpeng, the Chinese Communist Party's education minister
'If that’s the case he should do it via zoom,' she wrote on twitter.
'Is media is going to get a full read out and recording or each meeting?'
Ms Jayes had previously dubbed the Victorian Premier's ban on Australian reporters 'sneaky' and suggested it was 'a middle finger to the central tenet of democracy that has served him so well'.
It comes after Chinese state-owned station Phoenix TV aired a news segment which included an interview with Mr Andrews in which he praise Victoria's relationship with China.
'The Chinese story is absolutely central to the Victorian story for more than 150 years,' he said.
'You cannot imagine a modern Victoria without a Chinese influence.'
He added: 'We are certainly very proud to have the best part of 100,000 Chinese students here in Melbourne and across Victoria.
'It makes us a more dynamic city; it's the biggest export industry that we have.'
Daily Mail Australia can reveal that the video was recorded in 2017.
Mr Andrews is set to visit Jiangsu and Sichuan provinces before returning to Melbourne on Saturday morning.
Laura Jayes, host of the AM Agenda on Sky News Australia, blasted Mr Andrews' decision not to allow reporters on his four-day China trip
The list of officials the premier will meet was only
