Detained Chinese-Australian Writer Fears He Could Die in Prison

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

Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun fears he could die of kidney disease in a Chinese prison if he does not receive proper medical treatment.

Mr. Yang was told by Chinese Ministry of State Security personnel last week that he had a 10-centimetre cyst on a kidney, yet no immediate options for treatment were available.

“If something happens with my health and I die in here, people outside won’t know the truth. That is frustrating. If something happens to me, who can speak for me?” he said in a statement issued via friends.

Mr. Yang’s supporters urged the Australian authorities to intervene to secure medical parole for the writer.

Professor Feng Chongyi, Mr. Yang’s doctoral supervisor at the University of Technology Sydney, warned that if his friend’s case cannot be resolved urgently, he may face a similar fate to Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo, who died from liver cancer in 2017 in Chinese custody.

“We all know these facilities should not be trusted,” Professor Feng told The Australian newspaper. “The Australian government should push for medical parole to give Yang access to professional doctors outside the Chinese security apparatus.”

Australian Ambassador to China Graham Fletcher (L) walks out from an entrance to the Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court after being refused access to the trial of Australian academic Yang Jun, also known as Yang Hengjun, on espionage charges in Beijing on May 27, 2021. Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images

This comes weeks before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s potential meeting with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in India next month.

A spokeswoman for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she shared the deep concern about the continuing delays in the case.

“The Australian government has consistently advocated for Dr. Yang’s interests and well-being, and for him to be reunited with his family,” the spokeswoman said. “His case has been raised at every opportunity with the Chinese government, including by the prime minister and foreign minister.

Australian embassy officials visited Mr. Yang last week and expressed concern for his health.

“The resumption of bilateral consular consultations with China last week provided another avenue to discuss his welfare,” a spokesperson said.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets China’s President Xi Jinping in a bilateral meeting during the 2022 G20 summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Australia, on Nov. 15, 2022. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

Mr. Yang immigrated to Australia in 1999. A novelist and pro-democracy writer, he railed against the inconsistencies and corruption of Beijing’s political system in his blog.

Mr. Yang was arrested at Guangzhou Airport in China in January 2019. In August 2019, the CCP formally arrested him on suspicion of espionage. He has been detained in China for more than four years and still awaiting sentencing, which has been extended by three months to Oct. 9.

The CCP never publicly released details of the charges against Mr. Yang, and his court trial was held behind closed doors in May 2021.

Mr. Yang has always denied spying. His supporters say the CCP is politically persecuting him for his human rights stance.

As Australia continues to advance diplomatic relations with China, human rights advocates continue calling for the release of Mr. Yang and Cheng Lei, another Australian citizen currently detained in Chinese custody.

Australian journalist Cheng Lei is seen in Beijing, China, in this still image taken from undated video footage. Australia Global Alumni-Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade/Handout via REUTERS

Prime Minister Albanese said he and his ministers “always raise the issue of Australian citizens” when they meet with their international counterparts, including China.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called on the government to continue raising concerns about human rights abuses in Beijing.

“It’s important that we raise issues, particularly where Australian citizens are affected, and particularly where there is a threat to life because of a health condition,” he said. “So, no doubt the prime minister will raise this, as the government should, and we support the government in those efforts.”

Beijing’s new foreign minister is expected to visit Australia later this year after Wang Yi replaced Qin Gang in July.

Prime Minister Albanese is set to visit China, yet no date has been announced.

AAP contributed to this report.