Australian journalist back home after China release

Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who had been detained in China on national security charges for more than three years, returned home on Wednesday after being released. 

Cheng, who was tried in secret in March 2022, arrived in Melbourne and has been reunited with her two children and family, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

“The government has been seeking this for a long period of time and her return will be warmly welcomed not just by her family and friends but by all Australians,” he said.

Cheng’s release came after the completion of legal processes in China, he said. There was no immediate comment from the judiciary in China.

Cheng, 48, was a business television anchor for Chinese state television when she was detained in August 2020 for allegedly sharing state secrets with another country.

Australia had repeatedly raised concerns about her detention, which came as China widened blocks on Australian exports amid a diplomatic dispute that is gradually easing.

“She is a very strong and resilient person,” said Albanese, who said he has spoken to Cheng and welcomed her home on behalf of the country.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong met her at the airport.

In a letter to Australia released publicly in August, Cheng wrote of missing her children aged 11 and 14, who have been living in Melbourne with their grandmother while she was detained.

“In my cell, the sunlight shines through the window but I can stand in it for only 10 hours a year,” she wrote in what she called a “love letter to 25-million people”, her first public statement since her arrest.

“I haven’t seen a tree in three years. I relive every bush walk, river, lake, beach with swims and picnics and psychedelic sunsets. I secretly mouth the names of places I’ve visited and driven through.”

Albanese said he was expecting to visit China this year, adding that dialogue with China was “a good thing”.

There had been public pressure on Albanese to secure Cheng’s release before any official visit to Australia’s biggest trading partner.

‘Real progress’

Albanese has previously said he raised Cheng’s case with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and said on Wednesday it had been raised whenever Australian politicians met Chinese counterparts.

Analysts said the release was a breakthrough in ties but differences remained between the two countries.

“This is one of the more concrete signs that Australia is no longer being punished by China for comments and policy measures that Beijing had objected to,” said Ryan Neelam, director of the Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program at the Lowy Institute.

“So this does seem to suggest there is real progress in moving forward the relationship ... But it doesn’t completely change the overall structural difficulties that have been present.”

Albanese said Australia “continued to advocate” for another detained Australian journalist, Yang Hengjun, who has been held since January 2019.

There has been no sign that Yang would be released and his situation remained grim, a close friend of the blogger said on Wednesday. A verdict in his national security trial has been repeatedly delayed.

Independent China analyst Adam Ni said while Cheng’s release was a “big step” in stabilising relations, it should be kept in perspective.

“It will take more efforts from both sides to stabilise the relationship. It’s up to Beijing and Canberra to figure out the new normal in bilateral relations.” 

Reuters