Australian CCTV anchor Cheng Lei
Australian TV host Cheng Lei was detained in Beijing in August last year, and Australian authorities recently confirmed that the Chinese Communist Party authorities have officially arrested her for “illegally supplying state secrets overseas,” but no details were given. In response, Cheng Lei’s Family spoke out for the first Time.
Australian officials confirmed on the 8th that the Chinese authorities had formally arrested Cheng Lei on the 5th on charges of “illegally supplying state secrets overseas”. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne revealed that Australian diplomats visited Cheng Lei six times during her detention, most recently on Jan. 27.
It is reported that she is being held in a cell with no fresh air or natural light, and that guards have recently tightened restrictions on her ability to write letters and exercise.
Regarding Cheng Lei’s arrest in China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also confirmed at a regular press conference on February 8 that she is suspected of “illegally providing state secrets” to foreign countries and that the case is being further processed.
Australian broadcaster ABC reported that the Chinese government authorities did not provide more details about Cheng Lei’s “illegal provision of state secrets overseas,” but under Chinese law, such crimes can carry a variety of sentences, including Life in prison.
According to Cheng Lei’s niece, who knows nothing about her case, “We’re not sure if she’s just involved in something she doesn’t even realize.” “But we do know that she has been in detention for five and a half months and that her condition is getting worse.”
Cheng Lei’s niece also said that Cheng Lei has an 11-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son, both of whom are currently in Melbourne, Australia, in the care of their grandmother. Cheng Lei’s family hopes that Cheng Lei will soon be freed, “My hope is that the Australian government will take more action to secure her release and bring her Home,” and “that the Chinese authorities will show more compassion for her current plight.”
She joined CNBC-First Business in September 2003 and provides international stock market commentary for the “Global First Business” program from CNBC’s Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore. “She returned to Shanghai from Singapore in August 2004 to host CHINA BUSINESS BRIEFING, and has been a live anchor and reporter for CGTN since 2012, covering content related to mainland China.
China International Television is an official Communist Party-backed English-language channel for overseas viewers, formerly affiliated with China Central Television. In the U.S., the station has been accused of being a state propaganda organization and is required to register as a “foreign agent.
It has been noted that when Cheng Lei was reportedly detained in Beijing last year, a five-day period from August 27 to August 31, 2020, there were suspected unusual changes in the CCP’s propaganda system. These included the arrest of CGTN anchorwoman Cheng Lei, the seizure and auction of Hong Kong star Jackie Chan’s Beijing mansion, the release of the former editor-in-chief of People’s Daily magazine Wan Shidong’s 10-year prison sentence and his corrupt practices, and the revelation that Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, was using his power for personal gain through the official media.
Now, the official announcement of Cheng Lei’s arrest has sparked much speculation.
Recent Comments