Yang Hengjun, a blogger and spy novelist who had been in custody for the past half-year, was formally arrested in China on Aug. 23 on suspicion of committing espionage, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Tuesday. If eventually convicted at trial, Mr. Yang could be forced to serve a long prison sentence.
“Dr. Yang has been held in Beijing in harsh conditions without charge for more than seven months. Since that time, China hasn’t explained the reasons for Dr. Yang’s detention, nor has it allowed him access to his lawyers or family visits,” Ms. Payne said in a statement. “We have serious concerns for Dr. Yang’s welfare, and about the conditions under which he is being been held.”
Mr. Yang was born in China and once worked for the Foreign Ministry before emigrating to Australia. On social media, he has been at times a sharp-tongued critic of China’s ruling Communist Party.
On Tuesday, Ms. Payne said if Mr. Yang is being held for his political beliefs, he should be released.
“I will continue to advocate strongly on behalf of Dr. Yang to ensure a satisfactory explanation of the basis for his arrest, that he is treated humanely and that he is allowed to return home,” Ms. Payne said.
His January detention followed months of tension between Australia and Beijing over Canberra’s decision to lock telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co. out of its next-generation 5G communication networks and to challenge Chinese influence in the southern Pacific Ocean.
There is no basis for any allegation that Mr. Yang was spying for the Australian government, Ms. Payne said.
Friends and supporters of Mr. Yang have maintained that his detention is politically motivated. They expressed anger that he continues to be denied access to lawyers and family, and that Chinese authorities haven’t produced any evidence of their espionage accusations to justify continued detention.
Source: Wall Street Journal By Rachel Pannett in Sydney and Philip Wen in Beijing
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