China detains Australian writer on espionage charge

An Australian writer Yang Hengjun has been charged with suspected espionage in China after spending eight months in detention, the Australian government said Tuesday.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said she was “very concerned and disappointed” at the arrest, and appealed to China for a fair and transparent resolution.

“Dr Yang has been held in Beijing in harsh conditions without charge for more than seven months,” Payne said in a statement.

“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.”

Yang’s lawyer, Rob Stary, told the Australian Associated Press (AAP) news agency he believed the arrest related to Yang’s pro-democracy activities and was shocked at the espionage allegation, an offence that carries the death penalty.

“We think it relates to espionage on behalf of Australia but it’s not specific on the charge sheet,” Stary told AAP.

“We’d obviously be disturbed by that if it was the allegation because there is no foundation for it at all.”

Yang, 53, is a former Chinese diplomat and respected academic who became an Australian citizen in 2002.

He has written pro-democracy and human rights articles and blogs on social media that have a considerable following in China.

Yang disappeared in January when he arrived in Guangzhou from New York where he was a visiting scholar at Columbia University.

It took several months before China admitted it was holding Yang.

Australian consular officials have been able to visit Yang seven times in jail.

Payne said Australian officials expect to visit him again Tuesday.

China’s foreign ministry was quoted by AAP as saying Beijing was carrying out a lawful investigation and urged Australia to stop interfering in the case.

“The Chinese authority will handle the case in strict accordance with the law and fully protect his legal rights,” AAP reported the Chinese spokesman as saying.