Australian journalist Cheng Lei back home after 3 years detained in China

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, left, meets freed Australian journalist Cheng Lei on arrival at Melbourne Airport, Australia, on October 11, 2023 [Handout/Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade via Reuters]

An Australian journalist who was convicted on murky espionage charges and detained in China for three years has returned to Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Cheng Lei, 48, who worked for the international department of China’s state broadcaster, was reunited with her two children and family in Melbourne, Albanese said on Wednesday.