Australian is sentenced to death in China – Australian government “shocked” With this trick, the “coolest dictator in the world” wants to become president again soon

The Australian government has reacted with dismay to a Chinese court’s death sentence against writer Yang Hengjun. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in Canberra that the government was “shocked” that the Australian citizen was given a suspended death sentence in Beijing on Monday. According to the statement, the Australian government expects the sentence to be commuted to life imprisonment after two years’ probation. There was initially no comment on the case from the Chinese side.

Chinese authorities accuse the Chinese resident of espionage. Yang has always denied the allegations. In January 2019, he traveled with his wife and child from New York to Guangzhou in southern China. After his arrival he disappeared. Only later did his arrest become known.

Yang is known in China as a novelist and blogger. He regularly commented on Chinese politics and was sometimes critical of the Communist Party. He reportedly previously worked at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has had Australian citizenship since 2002.

“This is shocking news for Dr. Yang, his family and everyone who supported him,” Wong continued. The Australian government has repeatedly advocated for Yang’s interests and health at the highest levels and intends to continue to do so. According to reports, doctors discovered a cyst in the now 58-year-old’s kidney in August last year.

Australia has repeatedly clashed with China over detained citizens in recent years. The relationship between Beijing and Canberra was therefore tense. In October 2023, Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei was released in China, more than three years after her arrest. The 49-year-old, who worked for Chinese state television, was arrested in August 2020. The Public Prosecution Service accused her of passing on state secrets abroad. (sda/dpa)