Australian Journalist Allyson Horn Named ABC’s Beijing Correspondent as Bureau Reopens After 5 Years

August 28, 2025 – Australia/China –

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has confirmed the return of its China bureau after nearly five years, appointing Allyson Horn as its new Beijing correspondent. Horn will begin her posting in the coming weeks, marking a crucial expansion of the ABC’s international presence.

Horn brings extensive experience to the role; her first foreign assignment was in 2022 as the ABC’s Middle East correspondent, based in Jerusalem. She is described by ABC News Director Justin Stevens as “a formidable journalist” whose reporting is “brave and authoritative” and steadfast in giving “a voice to ordinary people.”

This appointment revives a significant chapter in ABC’s history. The network’s first Beijing bureau, established in 1973 by Paul Raffaele, symbolised Australia’s commitment to on-the-ground reporting. The bureau has been shuttered since September 2020, when journalist Bill Birtles left amid mounting diplomatic and security tensions between Australia and China, triggered by his colleague Cheng Lei’s detention.

Suzanne Dredge, ABC Head of International & Indigenous, noted that journalists have served on the ground in China for over half a century, providing crucial insights into the country’s politics, economy, and societal shifts. Horn’s appointment reinforces the ABC’s dedication to renewing and deepening its reporting across Asia-Pacific.

As Australia-China relations remain strained, Horn’s presence in Beijing offers the ABC a vital lens into one of the world’s most critical global actors. Her arrival heralds a renewed era in international reporting, providing Australian audiences with richer, firsthand coverage from the heart of China.

References –

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-28/china-abc-correspondent-allyson-horn/105708506

https://www.abc.net.au/about/media-centre/press-releases/abc-news-announces-return-to-beijing-with-appointment-of-allyson/105708166