Latest news with #YangHengjun
The Australian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Australian
China hunts dissidents to the end of the earth
As with Dr Feng's friend, Australian writer Yang Hengjun, who is imprisoned in China after being sentenced to death on spying charges in February 2024, Australian citizenship appears to make no difference as the CCP pursues transnational regime critics. Adelaide lawyer and former Hong Kong pro-democracy politician Ted Hui and Melbourne-based lawyer and academic Kevin Yam already have substantial bounties on their heads. So do others among 150,000 Hong Kong people who have fled to Britain in recent years. The number fleeing should surprise no one. There can be no doubt about what awaits them if they remain in Hong Kong or China or put themselves within reach of the regime's agents. Recently, 45 pro-democracy leaders were jailed in Hong Kong for what Human Rights Watch described as 'baseless' national security charges. Jimmy Lai, 77, the brave Hong Kong newspaper publisher, is a constant reminder of the fate that befalls those who have the temerity to argue the cause of democracy and freedom in Hong Kong: he has been in solitary confinement, in a small cell with poor ventilation and no airconditioning for four years. In Britain, Chloe Chung, 19, lives with a 'capture and bring her back alive' bounty of more than $400,000 on her head for protests she took part in at the age of 14. As Foreign Minister Penny Wong said at the weekend, Australia has 'consistently expressed our strong objections' to the extraterritorial application of Hong Kong's national security legislation, and will continue to do so. Such is the harsh reality of what the CCP is and the threat it poses even to people in our midst, such as Dr Feng. The bounties on the pro-democracy campaigners are a reminder that the Prime Minister's visit did nothing to change Beijing's ingrained culture of oppression and intolerance of dissent.
SBS Australia
4 days ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Australia and the UK recommit to each other, and AUKUS
Australia and the United Kingdom have signed a 50-year defence deal to underpin the AUKUS agreement. The countries have committed to strengthen their ties to AUKUS, despite the US reviewing the 368 billion dollar pact. Joined by the British Secretary of Defence John Healey for the signing of the agreement in Geelong, Defence Minister Richard Marles says AUKUS is one of the most important treaties since federation. "And in doing this, AUKUS will see 20,000 jobs in Australia. It will see in building a submarine in this country, the biggest industrial endeavour in our nation's history, bigger even than the Snowy Hydro Scheme. And in military terms, what it will deliver is the biggest leap in Australia's capability really since the formation of navy back in 1913." Australian academic Chongyi Feng has become the second Australian to be the subject of arrest warrant of Hong Kong's national security police, citing his roles in a political group that authorities claim promotes Hong Kong independence from China. Another Australian resident, Wong Sau-wo, was also among the 19 individuals outside Hong Kong that were issued with arrest warrants, for their involvement with an pro-democracy group, Hong Kong Parliament. SBS News has reached out to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for comment. Professor Feng, who is also close friend of detained Chinese Australian writer Yang Hengjun, told SBS News while he feels safe being in Australia, the federal government must remain cautious when interacting with China. "Issuing an arrest warranty is an act of political prosecution against an Australian citizen. So we need to be fully aware of the nature of (China's) authoritarian regime when dealing with Xi Jinping or the People's Republic of China." Thousands of voters in Taiwan are going to the polls today [[July 26]]. The controversial election, known as the Great Recall Vote, is being held just one year after the self-governing island's presidential election. Liang-chun Lin is a filmmaker who is campaigning for the removal of 31 opposition politicians accused of having close links with China. In an interview with SBS Chinese, she's accused the Opposition of paving the way for the Chinese Communist Party to rule Taiwan. "(Mandarin to English) Right after being appointed last year, seventeen lawmakers from Kuomintang went to Beijing to meet the top official that Xi Jinping appointed to oversee united front work. When they came back to Taiwan, they passed various laws that could reduce the costs for the Chinese Communist Party to invade Taiwan in the future, as if they were paving the ways for the CCP to rule Taiwan." Taiwan's Opposition denies the allegations, and is urging people to vote no in the Recall vote. Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached in December, has been ordered by a court in Seoul to pay 104 citizens for psychological harm during his declaration of martial law last year This marks the first court ruling in South Korea that recognise citizens' right to compensation for damages caused by the declaration of martial law. U-S President Donald Trump has landed in Scotland ahead of the opening of a new Trump golf course in Aberdeenshire, and for talks with leaders. Air Force One touched down at Prestwick Airport just before 8:30pm on Friday local time. Mr Trump was greeted by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray before boarding Marine One to travel to his Turnberry resort on the west coast. His visit is expected to spark protests across the country, prompting Scotland Police to request extra officers from other forces. Mr Trump will spend time at both Turnberry and his golf property near Aberdeen, but the trip also includes meetings with U-K Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss trade. "I'll be meeting with the EU on Sunday and we'll be working on a deal. We'll see if we can make a deal. (European Commission President) Ursula (von der Leyen) will be here, highly respected woman, so we look forward to that. It'll be good.' In cricket, Australia has taken an unbeatable three-nil lead in its best of five Twenty20 series against the West Indies in the Caribbean- courtesy of a record-breaking century from Tim David. David has hit 102 not out from just 37 balls- the fastest-ever century from an Australian batsman, guiding the Aussies to their target of 215 with 23 balls and six wickets to spare in game three of the series in St Kitts. David hit eleven sixes and six fours, and put on an unbeaten partnership of 128 with new all-rounder Mitchell Owen. Australia was in trouble when the pair came together with the score at 4 for 87 in the ninth over.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Plea to Albo over Aussie jailed in China
Anthony Albanese has been urged to stop being 'too soft' on the Chinese government amid negotiations to free Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun from a Beijing prison, with a friend and support saying Chinese authorities have taken the 'good word of the Australian government' as 'a weakness'. Dr Yang, an Australian citizen, has languished in a Beijing prison cell since 2019, when he was arrested at Guangzhou airport and accused of espionage, before being given a suspended death sentence in February 2024. He has always maintained his innocence. Feng Chongyi, who supervised the father-of-two during his PhD at the University of Technology Sydney, said Dr Yang's health had continued to decline following seven years of detention and said he urgently needed to be released to Australia for medical treatment. Dr Feng said Dr Yang had been tortured and put through sleep deprivation, and has been unable to receive treatment for a 10cm kidney cyst. While he acknowledged the Australian government's involvement in Dr Yang's case, with the Prime Minister expected to continue conversations when he heads to China later this week, he said progress has been too slow and 'soft'. Mr Albanese has confirmed meetings with Chinese Communist Party President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and National People's Congress Chairman Zhao Leji. 'What is the criteria for progress? They sentenced Yang Hengjun to the death penalty? Is that a progress? I don't think so,' Dr Yang told NewsWire. 'The good word of the Australian government has been taken by Chinese authorities as a weakness.' Dr Feng suggested trade could be used as a leverage to promote, like reciprocal tariffs and refusing to export resources like coal, iron ore or rare earths. 'They took the soft approach to (get) goodwill with the Chinese government and in return they expect Chinese authorities to do something good for Yang Hengjun or release Yan Hengjun,' he said. 'It's been more than six years and the soft approach has not worked. The Australian government has leverage on trade … but if Australia is serious about human rights, or want to make the life of an Australian citizen as a priority, they could opt for a reciprocal approach.' In May, Dr Yang penned a letter to Mr Albanese marking his sixth year in jail, and described the 'unbearable suffering' he had faced and thanked the Australian government for doing the 'utmost to bring me home for medical care and reunification with my family'. 'I feel all of your support beside me as I stagger through the hardest and darkest chapter of my life, allowing me to immerse in the warmth of humanity,' he wrote. 'It has helped me to understand the value of words and deeds of a government of the people, by the people, for the people – to enable me to fully understand the true meaning of being an Australian citizen.' A spokesman for Mr Albanese said the government 'will continue to advocate for Dr Yang's interests and wellbeing at every opportunity'. In the days after Dr Yang was given the suspended death sentence, Mr Albanese said Australia had conveyed 'our dismay, our despair, our frustration … (and) our outrage at this verdict'. Most recently in May this year, he said he would 'advocate for Dr Yang's interests and wellbeing at every opportunity''. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has also reiterated the desire to see Dr Yang reunited with his family, and in February issued a statement stating Australia remained 'appalled' by the sentence. 'We hold serious concerns about Dr Yang's health and conditions. We continue to press to ensure his needs are met and he receives appropriate medical care,' he said. 'Dr Yang is entitled to basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment, in accordance with international norms and China's legal obligations.' Coalition foreign affairs spokeswoman Michaelia Cash said Mr Albanese's upcoming trip was the 'perfect opportunity' for conversations to be raised 'directly with the Chinese leadership'. 'It is incumbent on Mr Albanese to advocate at the highest levels for Dr Yang's release from the unjust detention imposed on him,' she said.
Sky News AU
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Vengeful, insecure and vast': China on blast for treating people as ‘dispensable'
Sky News host Cheng Lei says how 'vengeful' China is after imprisoning Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun, which is the 'fundamental difference' between Australia and China. 'It also shows that it does not care for individuals,' Ms Lei told Sky News Australia. 'This is where we have to be really, really cool-headed and clear-eyed and not drink the Kool-Aid because it is all too tempting otherwise.'
SBS Australia
15-07-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Anthony Albanese urged to avoid being 'weak', push China to release detained Australian
A friend of detained Australian writer Yang Hengjun has called on Anthony Albanese to move past "weak" efforts in advocating for the release of his friend, as the prime minister meets with the Chinese president in Beijing. Ahead of his fourth meeting with Xi Jinping in Beijing, Albanese is facing pressure to advocate for Yang's release. Yang, who has been detained since 2019, was handed a two-year suspended death sentence in February 2024 over charges of espionage. He maintains his innocence. Yang's friend and his PhD supervisor in Australia, associate professor Feng Chongyi, said Albanese was focusing entirely on trade during the six-day trip, which he said came at the expense of Australian values around human rights. Feng told SBS News lobbying efforts by Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong to secure his friend's release were "not working" and had been "too weak, too soft". Yang Hengjun wrote about Chinese democracy and US politics online as a high-profile blogger and also penned a series of spy novels. Credit: AP Feng said the approach "actually invites bullying from the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] regime". "It is only lip service, rather than put a very harsh demand that you have to release Dr Yang," he said on Tuesday. "Otherwise, we will not normalise trade. Australia will not normalise relations with China unless you stop bullying Australian citizens like that." Feng suggested Australia leverage mineral resources — iron ore, natural gas and lithium — to broker a deal with Xi. He said Yang's life was in "danger" as his health continued to deteriorate. Feng said Yang has been "habitually tortured" and suffers from constant pain, is malnourished and unable to get treatment for a 10cm cyst on his kidney. "Sometimes Chinese authorities even deny his right to accept the extra money sent by his relatives to buy additional food, including dried beef or milk powder," he said. "So he's catching a cold all the time and he has fainted many times in prison. It's quite a serious concern for me and his family members. "What I expect from Prime Minister Albanese is that he insist on the immediate release of Hengjun back to Australia, because this is unacceptable." Speaking to reporters after meeting with Xi, Albanese said he had raised the case. "You wouldn't expect there to be an immediate outcome, and that is not the way things work," he said. "The way it works is by that patient, calibrated advocacy — what Australians do, what my government does — and I point to the record of my government when it comes to these issues." When asked directly about Feng's comments to SBS News, Albanese said it would be "inappropriate and insensitive" to respond. "I understand the pressures on people when a loved one has been incarcerated," he said. "What we will do, though, is put forward our views in a diplomatic way in order to try to maximise an outcome, and I point towards the outcomes where Australians here in China, in Myanmar, in Vietnam, in Indonesia, the US and the UK have all received outcomes that, at the least, could be called satisfactory. "And we will continue to do that to achieve outcomes and that is what our objective is." Yang's letter to Albanese from prison In a handwritten letter sent to Albanese earlier this year from prison, Yang thanked him for his support. "Dear Prime Minister Albanese, words are now failing me. Tears blur my vision. I can only use a silent voice to thank you and all the people who care for and love me," the letter, written in January, reads. "I know you and the Australian government endeavour to do your utmost to bring me home for medical care and reunification with my family. "Let peace win, let humanity gain, let love prevail, let freedom ring." Both Albanese and Wong have repeatedly said they continue to advocate for Yang's "interests and well-being at every opportunity". — With additional reporting from AAP
