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Beijing, China:
China mentioned Tuesday that it had detained a high-profile Australian journalist working for its state media on “national security grounds”.
Cheng Lei’s detention was a brand new blow to deteriorating relations between the 2 international locations which have seen China warn its residents of travelling to Australia and vice versa.
In the primary feedback on CGTN anchor Cheng Lei, held since August 14, overseas ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian mentioned authorities took “compulsory measures” in opposition to her on suspicion “of criminal activity endangering China’s national security”.
“The case is still in the process of investigation in accordance with the law,” Zhao mentioned, including that her “legal rights and interests are all receiving full legal protection”.
He didn’t give additional particulars of the allegations in opposition to her.
Cheng — who performed interviews with worldwide CEOs for CGTN’s Global Business and BizTalk reveals — has not been seen in public since being held, though Australian diplomats in Beijing had been in a position to converse to her on August 27.
Two different Australian reporters Bill Birtles and Michael Smith fled China in a single day, saying in addition they feared arrest.
“As long as foreign journalists obey the law… they have no reason to worry,” overseas ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian mentioned after stating authorities had investigated the Australian pair as a part of an unspecified case.
The Australian Financial Review, Smith’s employer, reported that each journalists had been informed that “they were persons of interest in an investigation into Ms Cheng”.
Cheng is the second high-profile Australian citizen to be detained in Beijing after author Yang Hengjun was arrested in January 2019 on suspicion of espionage.
Earlier this 12 months, Australia warned its residents they confronted the chance of arbitrary detention in the event that they travelled to China.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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