Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Di Natale for his questions. I don't have a confirmed number of individuals, and it does move around because different cases are notified to us at different times, so I would not like to venture an inaccurate number in terms of that. Australia has taken this situation and raised this situation in the most serious of ways. The senator has referred to our statement in the Human Rights Council, of which we are a member. We continue to engage with Chinese authorities, particularly in relation to consular matters—and any support that we also seek for those who are not Australian citizens but are associated with China. In terms of next steps, we seek the support of the government in China—and we have continued to do so—for an opportunity to visit the region and to enable others to visit the region—which they have indicated in the past there is some preparedness to do.