Chinese-born Australian CGTN journalist Cheng Lei detained in Beijing

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia was informed on August 14 that the anchor for CCTV’s English-language channel was in detention in China

She is the second prominent Chinese-Australian to be held in recent times, amid tense relations between Canberra and Beijing

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Chinese-born Australian journalist Cheng Lei. Australia on Monday said it had been informed by Chinese authorities on August 14 of her detention. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 9:01pm, 31 Aug 2020Updated: 10:56am, 1 Sep 2020

An Australian television anchor with Chinese state-run channel CGTN has been detained in China, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Monday, in a case likely to add strain to the already fraught relations between Canberra and Beijing.

Australian officials were informed that Cheng Lei was being detained on August 14 and made a consular visit to the journalist via video link on Thursday, Payne said in a statement.

Consular officials would provide assistance and support to Cheng and her family. Payne declined to comment further, citing privacy obligations.

Cheng, the host of the show Global Business, is the second prominent Chinese-Australian to be detained in China in recent times, following the detention of Yang Hengjun on suspicion of espionage since January 2019.

Her detention comes during a rocky period for Sino-Australian relations, following months of tensions over a raft of issues including trade, allegations of espionage, Hong Kong and the South China Sea.

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