Advertisement
Australia’s ‘quiet diplomacy’ praised as journalist Cheng Lei returns home from China detention
- Cheng has arrived in Melbourne and been reunited with her two children and family, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday
- She was detained in August 2020 and tried in secret on national security charges. Canberra had repeatedly called for her release
Reading Time:4 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
47
China has released Australian journalist Cheng Lei after more than three years in detention, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday, and she is now back in Melbourne.
“The Australian people very much wanted to see Cheng Lei reunited with her young kids,” Albanese said, adding that the reporter was “delighted” to be back home.
Cheng, a former anchor for Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, had been detained since August 2020. She was only formally arrested months later and eventually charged with “supplying state secrets overseas” in a case that many saw as politically motivated.
Since early 2020, Australia has been locked in conflict with China after Canberra pushed for an independent investigation into the coronavirus, drawing ire from Beijing for being blamed for the pandemic.
02:52
Detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei returns home after 3-year detention in China
Detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei returns home after 3-year detention in China
Cheng, a 48-year-old mother of two, had been a familiar face on the state broadcaster’s English-language channel, conducting interviews with noted CEOs from around the world.
Advertisement