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SYDNEY: Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said Canberra did not know why the Chinese authorities had detained Australian citizen Cheng Lei, as he warned that the risks to Australian companies linked to China had changed.
The Australian government confirmed late Monday (August 31) that Cheng, a high-profile commercial presenter on Chinese state television, had been detained two weeks ago.
“Cheng Lei is an Australian, a journalist who has been working in China for some time. In fact, I met her and was interviewed by her while abroad. I feel very sorry for her family at this time, and that is why We will do what we can to help her, as we would and would do with any Australian in such circumstances, “Birmingham told ABC radio.
The Australian embassy received consular access to Cheng via video link on Aug. 27, he said. Cheng has two children, both in Australia.
Former Australian Ambassador to China Geoff Raby, a business consultant, said Cheng was an old friend and a seasoned journalist, who had interviewed him many times for his business show.
Business reporting is not usually considered politically sensitive in China, she said, adding that he was astonished that she had been detained.
“He held a certain degree of skepticism towards some Chinese media, but was equally strong in arguing the case for China if foreign reports misrepresented China or were not based on facts,” Raby told Reuters in an interview.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement that Chinese authorities should reveal their reasons for detaining Cheng or releasing her.
Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator, said: “China, the world’s top jailer of journalists, must make it clear whether their arrest has anything to do with their work in the media.”
Tensions between Australia and China have been high this year, after Australia in April called for an international investigation into the origin of the coronavirus pandemic.
Beijing has said it was angry at the move and has since blocked Australian beef imports, imposed anti-dumping duties on Australian barley and launched an anti-dumping investigation on Australian wine.
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Birmingham told Nine television that many of the trade measures lacked substance.
“I have been very concerned about the number of different trade issues that have come our way this year, which I think change the risk profile of Australian companies as they interact with China,” he said.
