Australian arrested in China for ‘espionage’

An Australian pro-democracy academic held for seven months in China has been formally arrested for spying, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said yesterday as she demanded Beijing uphold “basic standards” of justice. Payne said she was “very concerned” that Chinese-born Yang Hengjun -- a former official turned author -- had been arrested on “suspicion of espionage”.

Yang had been detained after returning to China from the United States in January. Now in his 50s, he had used popular blog and social media posts to criticise Beijing’s authoritarian government. He has a following of more than 125,000 on Twitter alone. After months without access to his lawyer or family, Yang now faces trial on charges that could bring a lengthy prison sentence.

In a sharply worded statement, Payne said she had raised the case five times with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, in person and via letters. “Dr Yang has been held in Beijing in harsh conditions without charge for more than seven months,” Payne said, referencing international rules prohibiting torture.

“Since that time, China has not explained the reasons for Dr Yang’s detention, nor has it allowed him access to his lawyers or family visits.” “We expect that basic standards of justice and procedural fairness are met,” she said. “If Dr Yang is being held for his political beliefs, he should be released.”