Australian journalist held in China for 'illegally supplying state secrets overseas'

An Australian journalist who reportedly disappeared from Chinese State TV six months ago has been formally arrested for "supplying state secrets abroad". Cheng Lei, who was disappeared last August, has now been formally convicted for "illegally supplying state secrets overseas". Confirming the same in Canberra, Australian foreign minister Marise Payne said that China had "formally arrested Cheng Lei on February 5, after taking her into custody without explanation".

Cheng's detention 

Cheng Lei, is a China-born Australian high profile business journalist who worked as an anchor for Chinese state television CCTV. In August 2020, her friends were left concerned after they did not get messages replies from Cheng. It was later revealed that she had been detained by the Chinese state. Until this February, she was not charged with anything but was being held under what is called "residential surveillance at a designated location", a form of detention in which investigators can imprison and question a suspect for up to six months while cutting them off from lawyers and the outside world.

Read: China's Top Diplomat Blames US For Worsening Relations, Asks To 'correct Recent Mistakes'

Read: FM On Australia Citizens Detained In Myanmar, China

The mother of two now faces severe punishment if found to have broken China's national security laws. Speaking to Australian broadcaster ABC, her niece Louisa Wen asserted that the family did not "understand anything about the case". Timing and lack of evidence have raised eyebrows if her arrest was politically motivated.

Read: Australian Minister Says He Don't Know Why Chinese Authorities Detained Cheng Lei

Read: Peru Receives 1st Batch Of COVID Vaccines From China

Previously, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had also questioned the Chinese Communist Party for arresting Lei. In a statement, they have asked Chinese authorities to either disclose the reasons for holding Lei or release her immediately. Dubbing China as the “world’s number one jailer of journalists”, Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia programme coordinator  said that China must make it clear if her  arrest has anything to do with “her media work”

Australian trade minister Simon Birmingham had also asserted that Canberra had no information as to why the Chinese authorities have detained Chinese born Australian journalist Cheng Lei. Lei, a high profile business journalist and anchor for Chinese state television CCTV was arrested two weeks ago. Her detention was confirmed by Canberra on August 31 after officials said that they had a virtual consular visit with Lei at a detention facility.

Image source: AP