Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun was sentenced to a suspended death sentence by a Chinese court on Monday. International news agencies report this. In addition to being a writer, Yang is also a former diplomat and he has blogged about the Chinese government. The precise accusations against him have not been made public. Yang was arrested five years ago and charged with espionage, which he has always denied.
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British broadcaster BBC that the writer is being punished by the Chinese government “for his criticism of human rights violations in China and his advocacy for universal values such as human rights, democracy and the rule of law.” Chongyi was previously featured in Chinese state media itself accused of espionage.
The Australian government says it is “shocked” by the verdict. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has summoned the Chinese ambassador to Canberra for explanations and demanded “basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment” for the Chinese-Australian writer.
Diplomacy
The verdict may further deteriorate ties between China and Australia. This has been very bad in recent years, partly due to arrests of Yang and that of Australian journalist Cheng Lei in 2020. The low point came that same year, when Australia called for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus. China responded with high import tariffs on Australian products.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese began a reconciliation effort after taking office in 2022. Part of this was the release of Cheng Lei. In November he made a three-day visit to China, becoming the first Australian prime minister to visit the country in seven years. Although he was also under pressure to demand Yang’s release, he was unable to do so at the time.
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