Story By: John Feng, Sub-Editor:  Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

AsiaWire

An Australian woman who flouted Beijing’s quarantine laws in order to go jogging without a mask and then claimed she was “being harassed” by a health worker has been expelled by China.

The Australian-Chinese woman named only as Ms Liang, 47, has been ordered to leave the country, Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau announced through its deputy head and spokesman, Pan Xuhong, today (19th March).

Ms Liang entered the country via Beijing Capital airport on 14th March, using a work-type residence permit valid until 5th September 2020.

The document was revoked by Beijing’s Exit and Entry Administration, Mr Pan announced at a press conference.

It comes just one day after Ms Liang became the subject of a viral video seen hundreds of millions of times on Chinese social media platforms.

The footage showed a community health worker filming the Aussie jogger as she went out for a run without a mask despite having been ordered to remain at home in quarantine for 14 days.

Members of the Hujialou Police Station in Beijing’s Chaoyang District attended the scene after Ms Liang defiantly argued with the community worker.

In the video, she is heard shouting: “Help! I’m being harassed!”

Officers later arrive at her rental residence to confirm her identity and nationality before reminding her of the city’s public health guidelines, footage shows.

Mr Pan said: “The community worker tried to dissuade her [from jogging], but the individual was emotional and refused to cooperate.

“After her actions were exposed online and generated wide public interest, she was dismissed by her company.

“The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau’s Exit and Entry Administration decided to cancel her work-type residence permit. She is to leave within a specified period.”

On 17th March, Ms Liang’s former employers at German pharmaceutical giant Bayer announced in a statement that she had been dismissed, “effective immediately”.

The firm said it supported the Chinese government’s disease-prevention measures.

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