SYDNEY: Canberra voiced concern for Australian journalist Cheng Lei鈥檚 well-being Saturday, as it confirmed she would face trial in China next week after almost two years in detention.
Cheng, previously an anchor on state broadcaster CGTN, disappeared in August 2020 and was formally arrested for 鈥渋llegally supplying state secrets overseas鈥� in February last year.
鈥淭he Australian government has regularly raised serious concerns about Ms Cheng鈥檚 welfare and conditions of detention,鈥� foreign minister Marise Payne said in a statement, also confirming staff had met with Cheng on Monday.
鈥淲e expect basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met, in accordance with international norms.鈥�
The mother of two was a familiar face on the state broadcaster鈥檚 English-language channel, conducting interviews with noted CEOs from around the world.
Further details of the charges against her are not known.
鈥淲e have asked also that Australian officials be permitted to attend Ms Cheng鈥檚 hearing on 31 March, in line with China鈥檚 obligations under the Australia-China bilateral consular agreement,鈥� Payne said.
Born in Hunan province, Cheng is now an Australian national who emigrated to the country as a child, before returning to China and joining the state broadcaster in 2012.
China does not allow citizens to hold dual nationality.
She could face severe punishment if found to have broken China鈥檚 national security laws, which can carry a sentence of up to life in prison for cases deemed most serious.
Cheng鈥檚 detention came as relations between Australia and China cratered.
The timing and lack of information about charges raised speculation that her detention was politically motivated, or tit-for-tat retaliation.
Beijing has reacted angrily to Australia鈥檚 liberal use of foreign interference laws to block Chinese investment in sensitive sectors and to investigate Chinese influence on the country鈥檚 public life, as well as Canberra鈥檚 calls for an independent probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
Cheng鈥檚 detention also came weeks after Australian authorities raided the homes of Chinese state media journalists.
Her detention sent shockwaves through China鈥檚 foreign journalist community and two Australian journalists, Bill Birtles and Michael Smith, fled China shortly after being interrogated about Cheng.
Months after Cheng鈥檚 detention, Chinese authorities also detained a Bloomberg News employee, Haze Fan, also on allegations of endangering national security.