- Title: China says detained Australian writer being processed according to the law
- Date: 27th August 2019
- Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (AUGUST 27, 2019) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN GENG SHUANG ARRIVING AT REGULAR NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN GENG SHUANG, SAYING: "On August 23rd the Public Security Bureau of Beijing arrested Australian national Yang (Heng) Jun on suspicion of espionage according to the law. Currently this case is still being processed. China's national security departments are dealing with the case according to the law and are fully safeguarding Yang (Heng) Jun's various rights. Yang (Heng) Jun's current state of health is good." JOURNALISTS SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN GENG SHUANG, SAYING: "China is strongly dissatisfied with Australia's statement on this case. I would like to stress that China is a country with rule of law, and Australia should earnestly respect China's judicial sovereignty, and not interfere in China's handling of the case in accordance with the law in any way." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING CHINESE NATIONAL FLAG
- Embargoed: 10th September 2019 10:12
- Keywords: China Australia Yang Hengjun espionage detain
- Location: BEIJING, CHINA
- City: BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: China
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001ATZS56V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:China said on Tuesday (August 27) a Chinese-born Australian writer is being processed in accordance with the law after Australia said he had been arrested on suspicion of espionage and was being held in harsh conditions.
China also said it was strongly dissatisfied with Australia's statement regarding the writer, Yang Hengjun, whose legal name is Yang Jun, and called on it to not interfere.
Yang Hengjun, a former Chinese diplomat turned online journalist and blogger, was detained in the southern city of Guangzhou while waiting for a transfer to Shanghai, after flying in from New York. He was later moved to the capital Beijing.
The arrest of Yang, 53, comes as Beijing struggles to contain anti-government protests in Hong Kong, the semi-autonomous Chinese city.
(Production: Martin Pollard, Angie Teo) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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