When Quiet Diplomacy Wins Out Over Harsh Words With China
Australia is often viewed as the US’s proxy in Asia. Beijing’s decision to release journalist Cheng Lei is good for all three.
A breakthrouugh.
Photographer: Andrea Verdelli/BloombergFinally, after more than 1,000 days in prison, a breakthrough — and some good news in a bleak world. Beijing’s decision to release Australian journalist Cheng Lei has been rightly welcomed around the globe, and particularly in Melbourne, where she is now home with her family.
We may never know the details of why China decided to let her go, although the official line is that she had served out her sentence. It almost certainly is due in part to the dogged efforts of Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her team, who have worked tirelessly to secure Cheng’s freedom. This is a huge win for foreign policy, and should rightly be lauded. Cheng was first detained in China in 2020 on espionage charges, and then subsequently arrested in early 2021 after Chinese authorities said she “conducted illegal activities on supplying state secrets overseas.” Her release, according to a short statement from the Australian Foreign Ministry, follows the completion of legal processes.