China and Australia yesterday clashed over the detention of an Australian-Chinese writer who is being held in Beijing on national security grounds — the latest source of tension between the two nations.
Canberra said it was “deeply disappointed” with the criminal detention of Australian author and democracy advocate Yang Jun (楊軍), who was detained in January after making a rare return to China from the US.
Beijing hit back and said it “deplores” the remarks made by Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne, who had demanded Yang’s release if he was held for his political views.
Photo: AP
“China ... urges the Australian side not to interfere in China’s lawful handling of the case in any way and stop issuing irresponsible remarks,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang (耿爽) said at a news briefing in Beijing.
The detention of the Australian writer, who goes by the pen name Yang Hengjun (楊恆鈞), has strained relations between the two governments, with Canberra voicing its concern over the lack of transparency around Yang’s case.
Payne yesterday said in a strongly worded statement that the government had raised Yang’s case repeatedly with Beijing and written twice to Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi (王毅) requesting a “fair and transparent” resolution, as well as access for Yang to his lawyer.
“This has not occurred,” she said. “The government has expressed concern about Dr Yang’s welfare and the conditions under which he is held.”
Payne also said that she had still not received clarification as to why Yang was being held, although Australia received confirmation that the writer had been transferred to criminal detention, apparently on national security grounds.
Yang’s lawyer, Mo Shaoping (莫少平), on Thursday said that his client’s family picked up a formal notice in Beijing that said Yang is suspected of endangering state security and was being moved to a detention center in the capital.
Until this week, Yang had been held under “residential surveillance at a designated location,” a form of detention that allows authorities to hold people for serious crimes.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said when Yang was detained in January that he was suspected of endangering “China’s national security” — which often implies espionage allegations.
Australia has traditionally been keen to avoid friction with its biggest trading partner, but tensions have escalated over security concerns and China’s growing presence in the Pacific.
Australia notably angered Beijing when it banned Chinese technology giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd (華為) from participating in its 5G network in August last year over security fears.
“We have worked tirelessly and in good faith with the Chinese government to advocate for Dr Yang’s interests since he was detained,” Payne said. “We expect basic standards of justice and procedural fairness to be met.”
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