Former detainees urge 'creative' approach to hostages A group of Australians detained by authoritarian regimes have urged liberal democracies to work together and become more creative in managing hostage diplomacy. AAP · Mar 21, 2024
For foreign firms in Hong Kong, national security plans bring fresh chill Plans to implement Article 23 have raised fears of a further slide in freedoms in the financial hub. Al Jazeera · Feb 14, 2024
Australia Trade Minister Seeks China's Support Amid Trade Barriers In an effort to address trade barriers, Australia's trade minister plans to engage with China and question the recent sentencing of Australian journalist, ... Top News · Feb 13, 2024
Australian Yang Hengjun’s death sentence is a warning shot to anyone who wants to challenge China The exceptional harshness of the verdict reflects the rising power of the Ministry of State Security The Guardian - AU · Feb 5, 2024
Yang Jun: Dissident Chinese-Australian Writer Handed Suspended Death Sentence Yang -- who also goes by the pen name Yang Hengjun -- was born in China in 1965 and became an Australian citizen in the early 2000s. He grew a readership in exile as the author of novels that drew on his experiences in his homeland. International Business Times · Feb 5, 2024
Australia Appalled at China's Suspended Death Sentence for Blogger Australia expresses shock and concern over China's suspended death sentence for democracy blogger Yang Hengjun, urging for his wellbeing and medical care. Top News · Feb 5, 2024
'A wonderful day': freed journalist thanks PM Recently freed journalist Cheng Lei has thanked the prime minister for his government's efforts after she spent nearly three years imprisoned in China. AAP · Jan 23, 2024
More can be done for Australian jailed in China: friend Dr Yang Hengjun has spent years detained in China, but with Beijing offering no signals of a potential release, the government must do more, an advocate says. AAP · Jan 18, 2024
China lodges protests at Australia’s response to Taiwan’s presidential election Ambassador says there is ‘no room at all’ for compromise on ‘sensitive’ issue, and offers gloomy assessment on prospects for release of writer Dr Yang Hengjun The Guardian - AU · Jan 17, 2024
Son of jailed Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai lobbies UK foreign secretary for his release The son of jailed Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai will meet with Britain’s foreign secretary on Tuesday to lobby for the U.K.'s help in securing his release from prison The Independent UK · Dec 12, 2023
Australia’s Albanese heads to China touting ‘consistent, steady’ engagement Labor leader is first Australian prime minister to visit since 2016 after a turbulent period in bilateral ties. Al Jazeera · Nov 4, 2023
A new chapter: how China sees Albanese’s ‘ice-breaking’ state visit Chinese state media have previously viewed Australia’s actions as blindly following the US. Does a resumption of dialogue signal a change? The Guardian - AU · Nov 3, 2023
The PM is heading to China and the relationship with Beijing has thawed. But will trade ever return to normal? Economic ties are expected to feature heavily during the first visit by an Australian PM since 2016, amid a gradual easing of export restrictions The Guardian - AU · Nov 2, 2023
Albanese to raise human rights and trade with Xi in first China visit by Australian PM since 2016 Ahead of trip signalling emergence from diplomatic deep freeze, Albanese also calls on Beijing to again allow Australian journalists to report from mainland The Guardian - AU · Nov 2, 2023
The Independent UK · Nov 1, 2023 Australian prime minister to raise imprisoned democracy blogger during China visit Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he will raise the plight of a detained Australian democracy blogger with Chinese leaders during his visit to China
The Independent UK · Nov 1, 2023 Family of Australian blogger jailed in China pleads for urgent release: ‘I’m sick, I’m weak, I’m dying’ Australian prime minister says he will raise plight of detained writer with Chinese leaders during his landmark visit
The Guardian - AU · Oct 31, 2023 Yang Hengjun’s family urges Albanese to negotiate with China for jailed Australian writer’s release Democracy activist ‘hasn’t enjoyed any direct sunlight for over four years’ and his children fear their father risks being left to die in a Chinese prison
The Guardian - AU · Oct 29, 2023 Julian Assange’s brother urges Anthony Albanese to ‘up the ante’ over WikiLeaks founder’s case Prime minister pushed back on idea of US president personally stepping in, but Gabriel Shipton calls prosecution ‘entirely political’
The Independent UK · Oct 18, 2023 Australian journalist says she was detained for 3 years in China for breaking an embargo Australian journalist Cheng Lei says she spent more than three years in detention in China for breaking an embargo with a television broadcast
The Guardian - AU · Oct 17, 2023 Dutton accuses Albanese of misrepresenting Yunupingu comments – as it happened This blog is now closed.
The Guardian - AU · Oct 17, 2023 ‘Like being buried alive’: Australian journalist Cheng Lei on life in a Chinese prison TV reporter reveals she was arrested for breaking an embargo by a few minutes, and talks about how she survived months in solitary confinement
AAP · Oct 17, 2023 The reason behind Cheng Lei's arrest revealed In her first interview since returning home, journalist Cheng Lei has revealed she was arrested and jailed for three years in Beijing for breaking an embargo.
The Guardian - AU · Oct 12, 2023 Cheng Lei: Australia’s foreign minister reveals the promise she made to jailed journalist’s children The day after Cheng arrived back in Australia after three years’ detention in China, Penny Wong says she had vowed to ‘do everything I could to bring her home’
AAP · Oct 12, 2023 Emotions run high as Australian mother freed from China After years of working for Cheng Lei's release from a Chinese prison, the foreign minister has detailed the journalist's emotional return to Australia.
The Guardian - AU · Oct 11, 2023 Morning Mail: Albanese’s vow to Jewish community, Gaza power failure, Cheng Lei’s joyous homecoming The prime minister says ‘hateful prejudice’ has no place in Australia, and committed to keep Australian Jews safe