MELBOURNE: A Chinese-born Australian writer held in China since January has been formally arrested on suspicion of espionage, the Australian and Chinese governments said yesterday. Yang Hengjun, a former Chinese diplomat turned online journalist and blogger, was detained in Guangzhou while waiting for a transfer to Shanghai after flying in from New York. He was later moved to Beijing.
“Dr Yang has been held in Beijing in harsh conditions without charge for more than seven months,” Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said in a statement, adding that Yang was formally arrested on suspicion of spying on Friday last week.
Espionage is punishable by death in China. The arrest of Yang, 53, whose legal name is Yang Jun, came as Beijing struggles to contain anti-government protests in semi-autonomous Hong Kong.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang confirmed Yang’s formal arrest on Friday on suspicion of espionage — and told Australia to back off. “China is strongly dissatisfied with Australia’s statement on this case. I would like to stress that China is a country with rule of law, and Australia should earnestly respect China’s judicial sovereignty and not interfere in China’s handling of the case in accordance with the law in any way,” he said.
The case is being further processed and Yang is in good health with his rights fully guaranteed, Geng added.
Yang’s wife, who is an Australian permanent resident, has also been barred from leaving China. China has not allowed Yang access to his lawyers or family since his detention, Payne said.
However, Australian embassy officials have visited Yang seven times since January and were scheduled to meet him again yesterday, Canberra said.
Yang’s Australian lawyer, Robert Stary, said that Yang faces one charge of espionage, which Yang intends to deny, but the basis of the charge was unknown.
“He’d spent long periods in the US, so we don’t know whether it’s suggested he’s spying for Australia or the US, or Taiwan or whoever it might be, if that’s the allegation,” he told reporters.
Stary said that he wants the Australian government to press for Yang’s release if there is no evidence against him other than his being a pro-democracy advocate.
