Berliner Boersenzeitung - Australian journalist faces China trial on state secrets charges

EUR -
AED 4.313974
AFN 80.547575
ALL 97.43497
AMD 449.730626
ANG 2.102304
AOA 1077.171309
ARS 1492.791928
AUD 1.764032
AWG 2.116753
AZN 1.997541
BAM 1.955498
BBD 2.367735
BDT 143.357886
BGN 1.958425
BHD 0.442032
BIF 3495.360819
BMD 1.174669
BND 1.502568
BOB 8.10275
BRL 6.532918
BSD 1.172619
BTN 101.493344
BWP 15.744571
BYN 3.837608
BYR 23023.508484
BZD 2.355537
CAD 1.60865
CDF 3393.618188
CHF 0.926898
CLF 0.028411
CLP 1114.548074
CNY 8.403552
CNH 8.419421
COP 4775.56334
CRC 592.408617
CUC 1.174669
CUP 31.128723
CVE 110.247994
CZK 24.570488
DJF 208.817789
DKK 7.463499
DOP 71.149025
DZD 152.157529
EGP 57.684102
ERN 17.620032
ETB 163.190927
FJD 2.634488
FKP 0.873886
GBP 0.867394
GEL 3.183454
GGP 0.873886
GHS 12.25411
GIP 0.873886
GMD 84.575738
GNF 10176.430224
GTQ 9.000612
GYD 245.342154
HKD 9.220684
HNL 30.706263
HRK 7.537609
HTG 153.886262
HUF 396.849551
IDR 19217.346638
ILS 3.939604
IMP 0.873886
INR 101.616249
IQD 1536.163038
IRR 49468.241835
ISK 142.276027
JEP 0.873886
JMD 187.051146
JOD 0.832875
JPY 173.446916
KES 151.506629
KGS 102.547076
KHR 4697.275417
KMF 491.578229
KPW 1057.20192
KRW 1624.960429
KWD 0.358662
KYD 0.977249
KZT 639.00143
LAK 25279.100545
LBP 105069.992316
LKR 353.815422
LRD 235.113732
LSL 20.81239
LTL 3.468492
LVL 0.710545
LYD 6.330024
MAD 10.545173
MDL 19.723957
MGA 5179.201077
MKD 61.550505
MMK 2466.138379
MNT 4214.431849
MOP 9.481137
MRU 46.800781
MUR 53.341668
MVR 18.087317
MWK 2033.386338
MXN 21.791575
MYR 4.958862
MZN 75.131774
NAD 20.81239
NGN 1799.510455
NIO 43.153343
NOK 11.939521
NPR 162.388951
NZD 1.952023
OMR 0.45182
PAB 1.172619
PEN 4.153359
PGK 4.86025
PHP 67.131949
PKR 332.30154
PLN 4.249145
PYG 8783.645069
QAR 4.274541
RON 5.067644
RSD 117.131932
RUB 93.035649
RWF 1695.03853
SAR 4.407248
SBD 9.732243
SCR 16.618437
SDG 705.386032
SEK 11.18223
SGD 1.503814
SHP 0.923105
SLE 26.958871
SLL 24632.222042
SOS 670.196618
SRD 43.06747
STD 24313.272517
STN 24.496221
SVC 10.260417
SYP 15272.795461
SZL 20.804791
THB 38.023791
TJS 11.198873
TMT 4.123087
TND 3.423472
TOP 2.751192
TRY 47.660231
TTD 7.97377
TWD 34.632522
TZS 3004.93647
UAH 49.031737
UGX 4204.351453
USD 1.174669
UYU 46.972754
UZS 14837.711193
VES 141.281409
VND 30711.715781
VUV 139.313268
WST 3.217404
XAF 655.85583
XAG 0.030777
XAU 0.000352
XCD 3.174601
XCG 2.113374
XDR 0.815674
XOF 655.85583
XPF 119.331742
YER 283.035904
ZAR 20.886665
ZMK 10573.453177
ZMW 27.351781
ZWL 378.242874
  • RBGPF

    -1.1200

    73.88

    -1.52%

  • SCU

    0.0000

    12.72

    0%

  • CMSD

    0.0400

    22.89

    +0.17%

  • NGG

    -0.0800

    72.15

    -0.11%

  • VOD

    -0.0900

    11.43

    -0.79%

  • SCS

    0.0700

    10.58

    +0.66%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0400

    13.2

    -0.3%

  • CMSC

    0.0550

    22.485

    +0.24%

  • RIO

    -0.7300

    63.1

    -1.16%

  • RELX

    -0.9800

    52.73

    -1.86%

  • BCC

    1.7100

    88.14

    +1.94%

  • AZN

    -1.0200

    72.66

    -1.4%

  • GSK

    -0.2600

    37.97

    -0.68%

  • BCE

    -0.2300

    24.2

    -0.95%

  • BP

    0.0700

    32.2

    +0.22%

  • JRI

    -0.0600

    13.09

    -0.46%

  • BTI

    -0.3700

    52.25

    -0.71%

Australian journalist faces China trial on state secrets charges
Australian journalist faces China trial on state secrets charges

Australian journalist faces China trial on state secrets charges

Australian journalist Cheng Lei faced a closed door trial in China on Thursday after 18 months in detention over accusations of supplying state secrets, with Canberra saying the decision to deny its ambassador access to the hearing was "deeply concerning."

Text size:

Cheng -- a mother-of-two and a former anchor on Beijing's state broadcaster CGTN -- has been held in detention since August 2020. In February last year she was formally arrested for "illegally supplying state secrets overseas."

But Chinese authorities have given no further information on the allegations against her, diplomats say.

"We have been denied entry into the trial," Australian ambassador to China Graham Fletcher told reporters outside the Beijing court on Thursday.

"This is deeply concerning, unsatisfactory and very regrettable. We can have no confidence in the validity of a process which is conducted in secret."

Diplomats could not confirm if the trial had begun as scheduled.

Cheng could face life imprisonment if deemed to have committed serious violations of China's national security laws.

A statement from her family said "her two children and elderly parents miss her immensely and sincerely hope to reunite with her as soon as possible."

Concerns have swirled in Canberra over her welfare and detention conditions, with foreign minister Marise Payne urging China to meet "basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment... in accordance with international norms".

Ambassador Fletcher assuaged some of those worries on Thursday, saying "she is bearing up OK" and had chosen "very competent lawyers" to defend her.

Born in central China's Hunan province, Cheng emigrated to Australia as a child and later acquired citizenship of her adoptive country -- likely ditching her Chinese passport as Beijing does not permit its citizens to hold dual nationality.

After returning to China and joining the state broadcaster in 2012, she became a familiar face on CGTN and hosted interviews with noted CEOs from around the world.

- Broader tensions -

Cheng's detention came as relations between Australia and China plunged to their lowest level in years.

Beijing has lashed out at Australia's use of foreign interference laws to block Chinese investment in sensitive sectors and examine Chinese influence on the country's public life.

Canberra's repeated calls for an independent enquiry into the origins of Covid-19 -- which first emerged in China over two years ago -- have also raised Beijing's hackles.

Weeks before she disappeared, Australian authorities raided the homes of Chinese state media journalists as part of a foreign interference probe.

The timing of Cheng's detention and the lack of clarity about the charges against her led to speculation that her detention was politically motivated or tit-for-tat retaliation.

Two Australian journalists, Bill Birtles and Michael Smith, later fled China after being questioned about Cheng.

Months after her detention, Chinese authorities also detained Bloomberg News employee Haze Fan -- a Chinese citizen -- on allegations of endangering national security.

Another Chinese-born Australian, writer Yang Jun, has been accused by Beijing of espionage and is facing a trial that started last year behind closed doors.

(A.Berg--BBZ)