In a high-profile diplomatic case, a Beijing court is holding a closed-door trial for Australian journalist and former TV anchor Cheng Lei.
Ms Cheng is accused of smuggling state secrets out of the country. Her family maintains that she is not guilty. Prior to her detention in August 2020, the Chinese-born Australian worked for the Chinese state-run media outlet CGTN.
Canberra has expressed concern about her detention on several occasions, calling for “basic standards of justice” to be met. The exact nature of Ms Cheng’s alleged offenses is unknown, and it is unclear when a verdict will be issued.
Australia’s ambassador to China, Graham Fletcher, told reporters outside the courtroom on Thursday that he and other Australian officials had been denied entry to the hearing. Outsiders are frequently barred from politically sensitive trials in China.
“This is extremely alarming, unsatisfactory, and unfortunate. We have no faith in the legitimacy of the secretive process,” he said, adding that Australia would continue to “advocate strongly for Ms Cheng Lei’s rights and interests.”
Mr Fletcher said Ms Cheng, who had previously been reported to have been ill while in detention, was now “doing okay” given the circumstances. Ms Cheng’s lawyer had also stated that she was in good health and spirits to Australian media.
Mr Fletcher went on to say that Australia has asked for Ms Cheng’s permission to speak to her children. “They haven’t had any contact with their mother since the detention,” he said.
Her children and elderly parents “miss her immensely and sincerely hope to reunite with her as soon as possible” according to a family statement released to Reuters on Wednesday.
Ms Cheng had worked in Beijing for a number of years prior to her detention. Her two young children, as well as many of her family members, live in Australia.
She vanished from television in August 2020, and friends and relatives were unable to contact her. Ms Cheng’s employer, CGTN, the state broadcaster’s English-language channel, also removed her profile page and work from its websites.
Ms Cheng was formally arrested on spying charges in February of last year, after China announced she was being held for national security reasons. Her family has stated that they are unaware of the reason for her detention.
According to the bilateral consular agreement with China, Australia’s representatives were able to visit her once a month.
In recent years, relations between Australia and China have deteriorated, resulting in diplomatic and trade tensions. According to analysts, this has made it more difficult for Australian authorities to negotiate with Beijing over the release of their citizens.
In recent months, Beijing has detained or expelled a number of journalists. Following consular advice, the last two Australian media correspondents in China fled the country shortly after Ms Cheng’s arrest.