Australian professor barred from boarding flight from China

Sydney : The Australian government has intervened in the case of a Sydney professor who has been prevented from boarding a flight home from China, a media report said.

Chongyi Feng, an associate professor in Chinese studies at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), was visiting China, but his friends said that he was stopped from taking a flight back to Australia at the Guangzhou airport on Saturday night, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said in the report late Sunday.

The university said it had been in contact with Feng and was supporting him and his family, but did not know why he was barred from leaving the country.

"UTS has been in regular contact with Feng, who has assured the university that he is fine, and that although he is currently unable to leave China, for reasons we do not yet understand, he nonetheless has freedom of movement in China and freedom of communications," it said in a statement.

"The university is also in contact with the relevant government agencies in the hope that the matter can be resolved as soon as possible."

Justice Minister Michael Keenan said he has raised the case with the Chinese Government.

"He is an Australian permanent resident, not an Australian citizen and the Chinese government doesn't recognise if someone holds Chinese nationality, they don't recognise dual citizenship," the Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoted Keenan as saying.

The incident comes as China's Premier Li Keqiang wrapped up an unprecedented five-day visit to Australia on Sunday, during which he promoted closer economic ties between the two countries.