Who are Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun, the Australians detained in China?
Key points
- Journalist Cheng Lei has been detained in China since August 2020.
- Author Yang Hengjun has been in detention since January 2019.
- The warming of diplomatic relations gives hope for the release of Australian citizens.
“The children walked without their mother because it will be the third Christmas. So it’s obviously a really worrisome situation for kids,” he said.
Cheng Lei pictured with partner Nick Coyle.
“Obviously, the focus [Penny Wong’s] The trip is timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations, and this should be celebrated, and rightly so. But, you know, Senator Wong has raised this issue with her Chinese counterparts several times, as has the Prime Minister. [Prime Minister Anthony Albanese]. Thus, with the improvement of bilateral relations and more frequent contacts, I hope a solution will be found,” he said.
Feng Chongyi, a professor of Chinese studies at the University of Technology Sydney and a friend of jailed activist Dr Yang, also expressed optimism about Senator Wong’s visit.
At a press conference Tuesday, Senator Wong said the Australian government would continue to push for Ms. Cheng and Dr. Yang to be reunited with their families, and to push for more regular consular visits.
“We will continue to push for both access to consulates, which is important, and [Yang Hengjun] and Cheng Lei to reunite with their families.”
Who is Cheng Lei?
The 47-year-old was formally arrested in February 2021 on suspicion of illegally transferring state secrets abroad, according to then-Foreign Secretary Maryse Payne.
Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei attends a public event in Beijing on August 12, 2020 in this file photo. Credit: AARP
On March 31, the former TV presenter faced a closed trial in Beijing, but the outcome is not yet known.
“Personally, I sympathize with her family, her children and her relatives who are in such a difficult situation,” Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said on ABC’s 7.30 program in September.
The International Federation of Journalists described Ms. Cheng’s detention as “unreasonable.”
Who is Yang Hengjun?
Dr. Yang claimed that he was subjected to torture and hundreds of hours of interrogation during his detention, and said in a letter to his family before his trial in 2021 that he would endure “suffering and torture” with steadfastness.
Dr. Feng accused China of using “hostage diplomacy” for Dr. Yang.
Yang Hengjun and his wife Yuan Xiaoliang. A source: Supplied
“The worst things actually happened back in early 2019, the first six months, he was severely tortured for confessing to establishing a case. We all know about the fabricated case against him, which is why we call it part of Chinese hostage diplomacy,” he told SBS News.
“Before 2019, he was a very healthy person, but now he has heart problems, kidney problems, sleep problems, this is a terrible situation in terms of his health,” he said.