Sydney | An Australian presenter of the English-speaking Chinese channel CGTN has been officially arrested and charged with “disclosing state secrets abroad,” Canberra announced on Monday, six months after her detention.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she was informed on February 5 by Chinese authorities of the arrest of Cheng Lei, detained without any explanation since August.
The mother of two is accused of “illegally providing state secrets abroad,” Payne said in a statement.
Ms. Cheng, a well-known presenter on state-owned television station CGTN, interviewed business leaders from around the world for shows from international executives around the world.
Born in Hunan province, she immigrated to Australia as a child before returning to China and being hired by public television in 2012.
If she is found guilty of breaking China’s “national security” laws, she will be sentenced to a heavy sentence.
Her niece Louisa Wen told Australian ABC television that “in this case her family does not understand anything.”
According to her, the situation is particularly “difficult” for the presenter’s 11-year-old daughter and for her 9-year-old son.
The journalist was taken into custody amid growing bilateral tensions between Beijing and Canberra.
Diplomatic relations had deteriorated markedly at the beginning of 2020 after the call launched by Canberra for an international investigation into the origin of the new coronavirus, spotted for the first time in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
Australia also blames Beijing for its growing influence in Asia-Pacific and its alleged interference in Australian affairs.
China has taken a host of economic retaliatory measures against more than a dozen Australian products, including barley, beef, wine and coal.
Ms. Cheng’s detention came weeks after searches of the homes of journalists working for Chinese state media.
Two Australian journalists Bill Birtles and Mike Smith rushed back to their country in September after being questioned about Ms Cheng.
According to Ms Payne, Australian diplomats have visited the presenter six times since her arrest, the last time being on January 27.
“The Australian government has regularly expressed, at the highest level, its serious concerns about the detention of Ms. Cheng, especially with regard to her well-being and conditions of detention,” said the Minister.
“We count on the fact that the fundamental principles of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment are respected, in accordance with international rules.”
Ms Cheng is the second prominent Australian citizen to be detained by China following the arrest of writer Yang Hengjun in January 2019 on suspicion of espionage.
His detention had caused a stir among the community of foreign journalists in China.
She had notably written messages on Facebook in which she criticized Chinese President Xi Jinping and Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic.