‘Deeply Troubled’: Government Concerned About Delays in Australian Writer’s Espionage Trial

In this 2017 photo provided by his family, Yang Hengjun, left, poses with his family member in Beijing. Yang Family Photo via AP

The Australian government says it is “deeply troubled” by the ongoing delays in the trial of Chinese-born Australian writer and academic Yang Hengjun in China.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, in a statement on Jan. 19, said that the government’s thoughts were with Yang and his family as they mark the fourth anniversary of his detention.

“The Australian government is deeply troubled by the ongoing delays in his case,” she said. “Dr. Yang faced a closed trial in Beijing on 27 May 2021, and he still awaits a verdict.

“The Australian government has called for basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be afforded to Dr. Yang, in accordance with international norms and China’s legal obligations.”

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong meets with Australian Ambassador to China Graham Fletcher at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, on Dec. 21, 2022. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Yang, arrested by Chinese authorities in January 2019 at Guangzhou Airport in southern China, is facing charges of “endangering national security or accepting a mission from an unidentified espionage organisation,” which carries a lengthy jail sentence or the death penalty under the Chinese communist regime’s law.

His arrest came around the time the previous Morrison government blocked Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei from access to the country’s 5G network.

A former Chinese diplomat, Yang became an academic in Australia and worked as a visiting scholar at Columbia University in New York when he was detained.

He is known for his writings on the democratisation of China, human rights, and the rule of law. Yang became prominent in the early 2000s when he earned the nickname “democracy peddler.”

Wong also signalled that the Australian government would not be dissuaded from advocating for Yang’s interests and well-being at the highest levels. They also want to see the Chinese authorities grant Australia’s request for consular assistance.

Australian officials have concerns about Yang’s treatment consular staff visiting him in 2019 revealed he was detained under “unacceptable” conditions, including being subjected to isolation and daily interrogations—sometimes shackled.

Chinese Authorities Reject Australia’s Concerns

Chinese authorities have rejected Wong’s concerns, with the foreign affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin telling reporters on Jan. 19 that they have fully respected and protected Yang’s rights, including the right to consular visits.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin attends a news conference in Beijing, China, on March 3, 2022. Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo

Wang urged Australia to respect China’s judicial sovereignty and refrain from interfering in the case.

He also suggested that the remarks from Wong were not part of what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would regard as “concrete actions to create the conditions and atmosphere needed for the improvement of bilateral relations.”

Australia-China Diplomatic Thaw Slow-Going

China and Australia have been experiencing a minor thaw in diplomatic tensions after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in November last year.

However, Albanese noted there was still a long way to go in restoring the relationship, with the prime minister insisting he would stand firm on Australia’s national interest.

“It was not anticipated that a meeting such as that, that you get immediate declarations. I believe if people thought that would happen, then that was not realistic,” the prime minister said.

“We have big differences to manage.”

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong (L) bumps elbows with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Nusa Dua on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on July 8, 2022. Johannes P. Christo/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Most recently, Foreign Minister Penny Wong visited Beijing with a small Australian contingent, including Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Jan Adams and half a dozen other officials.

The government is said to be seeking a resumption of the annual leaders’ meetings between Australia and China, plus annual talks between the treasurer, trade minister, and their Chinese counterparts. The resumption of those meetings has not been officially agreed to by China.

Wong has said that the Australian government sees the resumption of such talks as “an opportunity to have the discussion between those different ministers about the trade issues.”