China said on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, that it had deported Australian journalist Cheng Lei after she served a sentence on charges of illegally supplying state secrets overseas.
Lei, a former anchor for Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, was arrested in December 2020 and charged with espionage. She was found guilty in September 2022 and sentenced to eight years in prison.
Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who had been detained in China on national security charges for over three years, has been released and returned to Australia, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Cheng was tried in secret in March 2022 and has now been reunited with her family, including her two children.
Her release follows the completion of legal processes in China, but there has been no immediate comment from the Chinese judiciary. Cheng, a former business television anchor for Chinese state television, was detained in August 2020 on allegations of sharing state secrets with another country.
Lei’s detention and conviction were widely condemned by the Australian government and media organizations. Australia has called for Lei’s immediate release, but China has refused.
The Australian government had repeatedly expressed concerns about her detention, which occurred amid escalating tensions between China and Australia, leading to China blocking Australian exports. The diplomatic dispute has been gradually easing.
Lei’s deportation to Australia comes after months of diplomatic pressure from the Australian government. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed Lei’s return and said that she had been through a “traumatic experience.”
Cheng’s release is seen as a positive development in Australia-China relations, but differences between the two nations persist. The Australian government continues to advocate for the release of another detained Australian journalist, Yang Hengjun, who has been held since January 2019.
Lei’s deportation is a step in the right direction, but it is important for Australia and China to continue to work to improve their relationship. This includes addressing the issue of press freedom in China and ensuring that Australian citizens in China are treated fairly.
-Inputs from Agencies
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