Chinese former diplomat and vocal critic, Yang Hengjun, was charged with espionage. (Image via BBC)

Alleged espionage, Australian-Chinese writer arrested in China

Alfonsus Adi Putra
Scandal
Legal
Aug 27, 2019
2218
BEIJING - Since January 2019, a former Chinese diplomat and also a writer, Yang Hengjun, was formally held by Chinese officials. At that time, Yang was taking flight from New York to Guangzhou with his wife, Yuan Ruijuan, and their two children.

Yang was then brought to Beijing, while his family was allowed to travel back to Shanghai.

Yang Hengjun is well-known as a vocal critic against China, struggling for equal human and democratic rights for all Chinese citizens. Writing in his Chinese lingo blog, Yang had been covering the Chinese issue and its international relations for years. About 130,000 people have been following his writings on Chinese social media and Twitter.

Furthermore, Yang decided to take Australian citizenship. In China’s point of view, Australia is one of the countries that stands with its arch-nemesis, the U.S.

Until 23 August, China then charged Yang Hengjun with espionage, according to Yang’s lawyer, Rob Stary. Beijing saw Yang as a threat to its national security.

Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marise Payne, stated the concern and disappointment over the incident on behalf of the Australian government. Especially, over the fact that Yang Hengjun had been held in Beijing for seven months in a “harsh” condition without any explanation nor charge.

In a statement, Marise Payne claimed that she had been holding talks with her Chinese counterpart and State Councilor, Wang Yi, regarding the condition and acquittal of Yang Hengjun.

Moreover, Payne stated that it was awful for the Chinese to detain Yang for no reason for seven months under “harsh condition”, having been restricted to family visits and lawyer. The only individual who could visit him was the Australian envoy for China who visited him seven times.

“If Yang Hengjun is arrested for his political belief, then I believe that he should be acquitted,” said the Australian Foreign Affairs Minister.

Source: https://beta.washingtonpost.com/world/australian-writer-yang-hengjun-charged-with-espionage-in-china/2019/08/26/07e78b94-c865-11e9-8067-196d9f17af68_story.html

Politics , Espionage , Australia , China , Trade-War