Australia does not know why journalist Cheng Lei was detained in China, minister says
- Trade minister Simon Birmingham said the Australian embassy was given consular access to the business anchor via video link on August 27
- Tensions between Australia and China have been high this year after Canberra called for a probe into the source of the coronavirus pandemic
The Australian government confirmed on Monday evening that Cheng, a high-profile business anchor on Chinese state television, had been detained two weeks ago.
“Cheng Lei is an Australian, a journalist who has been working in China for some period of time. I’ve actually met her and been interviewed by her while overseas myself. I feel for her family very much at this point in time, and it’s why we will do what we can to assist her, as we would and have any Australian in these sorts of circumstances,” Birmingham told ABC radio.
The Australian embassy was given consular access to Cheng via video link on August 27, he said. Cheng has two children, both in Australia.
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Hua Chunying, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, batted away questions over the fate of the China-born journalist, who enjoyed a high profile as a business news presenter on CGTN.
“I can’t give you any specifics,” she told reporters on Tuesday.
“But you know China is a country governed by law … we will handle things according to the law.”
There are fears Cheng could face a prolonged period of detention after reports in Australian media said she was being held under “residential surveillance”.
Business reporting is not usually seen as politically sensitive in China, he said, adding that he was astonished she had been detained.
“She held a degree of scepticism towards some Chinese media, but she was equally strong in arguing China’s case if foreign reporting mischaracterised China or was not based on facts,” Raby said.
The Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement that Chinese authorities should disclose their reasons for holding Cheng or release her.
Steven Butler, CPJ’s Asia programme coordinator, said, “China – the world’s number one jailer of journalists – must make clear whether her detention has anything to do with her media work.”
Birmingham told television network Nine that many of the trade measures lacked substance.
“I’ve been very concerned at the number of different trade issues that have come our way this year, that I think changes the risk profile for Australian businesses in engaging with China,” he said.
The detention of Cheng, who conducted interviews with international CEOs for CGTN’s Global Business and BizTalk shows, has also sent shock waves through China’s foreign journalist community.
She has also spoken openly about domestic violence including at a UN Women China event in Beijing last year.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
