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Chinese authorities detained an Australian journalist at the country’s state-controlled broadcaster, increasing diplomatic tensions between Beijing and Canberra.
The Australian government said on Tuesday that Cheng Lei, who works for China Global Television Network as a television host, was detained on August 14 and was receiving consular support from the embassy.
Ms. Cheng’s arrest has raised concerns in Canberra that Beijing was deliberately targeting Australian citizens in a form of “hostage diplomacy.”
The journalist is the second high-profile Australian citizen to be detained by the Chinese authorities. In 2019, Yang Hengjun, a writer, was arrested and charged with espionage. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
Access was provided to Ms Cheng via video link last week, according to Canberra. The Chinese government has yet to comment on Ms. Cheng’s case and it is unclear what crime, if any, she is suspected of having committed. China’s criminal law gives law enforcement agencies significant leeway to detain suspects for months before charging them.
“His family has issued a statement, as they would have seen, acknowledging the process and asking people to respect privacy and refrain from comment,” said Simon Birmingham, Australia’s trade minister.
“And we will continue, however, to do our best to assist her and her family during what is undoubtedly a stressful and difficult time for them.”
The arrest follows a sharp deterioration in Sino-Australian relations after Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origins of Covid-19 in Wuhan. Beijing compared the move to Brutus’ betrayal of Julius Caesar.
Since then, Beijing has imposed trade sanctions on Australian imports of barley, beef and wine in a move that Australian analysts say amounted to “economic coercion.”
Ms Cheng, who was born in China but is now an Australian citizen, had worked for eight years as a presenter on one of CGTN’s top English business programs, where she regularly interviewed high-profile Chinese and international business leaders.
As the most visible aspect of China’s ambitious global propaganda efforts, CGTN has faced scrutiny in the US for its role as a provider of information to the Chinese state, and in the UK for its alleged broadcast of forced confessions. .
ABC News, Australia’s national broadcaster, said Ms Cheng was being held on “residential surveillance at a designated location”, a form of off-grid detention often criticized by human rights groups for depriving detainees. of adequate legal defense and protection against abuse.
Ms. Cheng’s family released a statement posted by ABC saying they respected the legal process in China and would not comment further at this time.
“In China, due process will be observed and we look forward to a successful and timely conclusion of the matter,” the family said.
CGTN, the non-Chinese-language branch of China’s state broadcaster, has removed a profile of Ms. Cheng from its website, as well as several of her articles and interviews. Her Twitter account was last updated on August 11.
President Xi Jinping has demanded full political loyalty from Chinese state media. Several senior officials from the media and television personalities have been investigated for corruption since he took office in 2012.
Australia’s S & P / ASX 200 fell as much as 2.5% on Tuesday following reports of Cheng’s arrest in China, with stocks declining across all sectors.
Additional information from Hudson Lockett in Hong Kong
