 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 By Poornima WEERASEKARA Beijing (AFP) Aug 27, 2019
An Australian academic has been arrested in China for spying, Beijing said Tuesday, prompting Canberra to demand the country upholds "basic standards" of justice. Yang Jun, who also goes by his pen name Yang Hengjun, was detained in January shortly after making a rare return to China from the United States. Beijing said he was formally arrested last Friday and that the case was being "further processed." Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said earlier on Tuesday that she was "very concerned" that Yang -- a former official turned author -- had been arrested on "suspicion of espionage". "We expect that basic standards of justice and procedural fairness are met," she added. After months without access to his lawyer or family, Yang now faces trial on charges that could bring a lengthy prison sentence. China's near-silence about Yang's fate has been a point of friction in relations with Australia that have markedly deteriorated in recent months. In a sharply worded statement, Payne said she had raised the case five times with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, in person and via letters. "Dr Yang has been held in Beijing in harsh conditions without charge for more than seven months," Payne said, referencing international rules prohibiting torture. "Since that time, China has not explained the reasons for Dr Yang's detention, nor has it allowed him access to his lawyers or family visits." But foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters Tuesday that China had acted "in accordance with the law and fully guarantees the rights of Yang Jun" who he said was "currently in good health." He rejected criticism from Canberra over the conditions of Yang's detention. "The Chinese side has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Australian side's statement on the case," Geng added. "The Australian side should earnestly respect China's judicial sovereignty and must not intervene in any way to China's handling of the case." - Stealing 'state secrets' - Yang is the latest in a string of foreign nationals to be arrested in China and charged with espionage or attempting to steal state secrets. Two Canadians, former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, were detained in December. Australia has traditionally been keen to avoid friction with Beijing, but Yang's arrest will increase public pressure on Canberra to take a tougher line against its most important trade partner. There is a growing concern about Beijing's influence in Australian politics, its more aggressive foreign policy and growing military clout in the Pacific. Australian universities have come under the microscope for lucrative contracts with the Chinese government, while the government has been accused of not protecting dissidents and refugees now resident Down Under. On Monday, an official corruption inquiry heard that a well-connected Chinese property developer delivered Aus$100,000 in cash to the opposition Labor Party's headquarters before a 2015 election. The man, Huang Xiangmo, was effectively banned from returning to Australia in February. Yang had initially been held in "residential surveillance at a designated location" before being moved to criminal detention, his lawyer told AFP. "His arrest has now been approved by the procuratorate. Now he is formally arrested," Mo Shaoping said. "He is suspected of espionage and has been arrested, when he was originally detained he was also suspected of espionage."
Beijing expresses "strong dissatisfaction" with G7 on Hong Kong Beijing (AFP) Aug 27, 2019 Beijing on Tuesday voiced "strong dissatisfaction" with a joint statement issued by the G7 leaders, who backed Hong Kong's autonomy and called for calm after months of civil unrest. "We express our strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the statement made by the leaders of the G7 Summit on Hong Kong affairs," said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a press briefing in Beijing. G7 leaders meeting in France on Monday backed Hong Kong's autonomy as laid out in a 1984 agreement bet ... read more
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Google
