#Australia
Australian Foreign Minister: Australian-Chinese Female Host for CCTV’s Overseas Operation Detained in Beijing
The Australian government has confirmed that Australian-Chinese reporter Cheng Lei is being detained in Beijing. An employee of China Global Television Network (CGTV), an overseas subsidiary of China’s state media organization CCTV, Cheng is under residential surveillance. The Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) described the case as a “fresh challenge” to Australia-China relations.
A statement from Australia’s foreign minister Marise Payne confirms that Cheng is detained in Beijing, China’s capital. Australian diplomats were allowed a conversation with her by video conferencing last week. The statement said the Australian government had been informed that Cheng, an Australian citizen, had been detained in China.
Australia received an official notification of Cheng’s detention from the Chinese authorities on 14 August. Australian officials made their first consular visit to Cheng by means of a video conference at the detention facility on 27 August. The Australian authorities promised to “continue to provide assistance and support to her and her family”.
Colleagues: Cheng had not replied to messages for weeks
According to the ABC’s report, Cheng’s co-workers at CGTV noticed that she had not been replying to messages for weeks and started to worry about her. They suspected that she might have been detained by the Chinese authorities. No charges have yet been pressed against Cheng, though she is kept under what is known as “residential surveillance at a designated location”. Several of her family members, including two children, are in Melbourne.
Cheng’s family has since issued a statement, saying they were aware of the current situation of Cheng Lei as reported by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). They added that they will communicate closely with DFAT and give Cheng their full support. “In China,” they said, “due process will be observed and we look forward to a satisfactory and timely conclusion to the matter.”
Born in 1975 in Yueyang, Hunan, Cheng moved to Australia with her parents when she was 10. She gained a business degree at The University of Queensland in 1994 and became a business analyst in 2001. She joined CCTV the next year and later the financial channel CNBC Asia, where she had worked for nine years, stationed in China and Singapore. The ABC described her as being “well known” in the Australian community of Beijing for having hosted various events for business associations and the Australian Embassy.
China’s Foreign Ministry has yet to comment on the matter. Cheng is the second Australian detained in Beijing. Writer and former Chinese government employee Yang Hengjun was detained by the Chinese authorities back in January 2019. He has been placed under investigation for espionage and denied access to his lawyer for the past 19 months. This July, the Australian government updated its travel advisory for China, warning citizens of an increased risk of being arbitrarily detained.
Source: Stand News #Sep01
#China #CCTV #CGTV #Diplomacy
Australian Foreign Minister: Australian-Chinese Female Host for CCTV’s Overseas Operation Detained in Beijing
The Australian government has confirmed that Australian-Chinese reporter Cheng Lei is being detained in Beijing. An employee of China Global Television Network (CGTV), an overseas subsidiary of China’s state media organization CCTV, Cheng is under residential surveillance. The Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) described the case as a “fresh challenge” to Australia-China relations.
A statement from Australia’s foreign minister Marise Payne confirms that Cheng is detained in Beijing, China’s capital. Australian diplomats were allowed a conversation with her by video conferencing last week. The statement said the Australian government had been informed that Cheng, an Australian citizen, had been detained in China.
Australia received an official notification of Cheng’s detention from the Chinese authorities on 14 August. Australian officials made their first consular visit to Cheng by means of a video conference at the detention facility on 27 August. The Australian authorities promised to “continue to provide assistance and support to her and her family”.
Colleagues: Cheng had not replied to messages for weeks
According to the ABC’s report, Cheng’s co-workers at CGTV noticed that she had not been replying to messages for weeks and started to worry about her. They suspected that she might have been detained by the Chinese authorities. No charges have yet been pressed against Cheng, though she is kept under what is known as “residential surveillance at a designated location”. Several of her family members, including two children, are in Melbourne.
Cheng’s family has since issued a statement, saying they were aware of the current situation of Cheng Lei as reported by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). They added that they will communicate closely with DFAT and give Cheng their full support. “In China,” they said, “due process will be observed and we look forward to a satisfactory and timely conclusion to the matter.”
Born in 1975 in Yueyang, Hunan, Cheng moved to Australia with her parents when she was 10. She gained a business degree at The University of Queensland in 1994 and became a business analyst in 2001. She joined CCTV the next year and later the financial channel CNBC Asia, where she had worked for nine years, stationed in China and Singapore. The ABC described her as being “well known” in the Australian community of Beijing for having hosted various events for business associations and the Australian Embassy.
China’s Foreign Ministry has yet to comment on the matter. Cheng is the second Australian detained in Beijing. Writer and former Chinese government employee Yang Hengjun was detained by the Chinese authorities back in January 2019. He has been placed under investigation for espionage and denied access to his lawyer for the past 19 months. This July, the Australian government updated its travel advisory for China, warning citizens of an increased risk of being arbitrarily detained.
Source: Stand News #Sep01
#China #CCTV #CGTV #Diplomacy