Australian-Chinese writer Yang Hengjun given suspended death sentence in China. Who is he?
File photo of Yang Hengjun.
Chinese-origin Australian writer Yang Hengjun was given a suspended death sentence by China over alleged espionage. Talking about the verdict bya court in Beijing on Monday (Feb 5), Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters that Canberra was appalled at this outcome.
Reports said the death sentence may be commuted to life in jail after a period of two years.
"We will be communicating our response in the strongest terms," Foreign Minister Wong said. "I want to acknowledge the acute distress that Dr Yang and his family will be feeling today, coming after years of uncertainty," she added.
The foreign minister also said that China's ambassador to Australia would be summoned to hear Australia's objection.
Who is Yang Hengjun?
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A pro-democracy blogger, Yang, 58, is an Australian citizen born in China. Yang was working in New York before his arrest at China's Guangzhou airport in 2019.
He was accused of spying for a country China had not publicly identified and the details of the case against him were unknown. A family spokesperson in Sydney told Reuters news agency that Yang's family was "shocked and devastated by this news, which comes at the extreme end of worst expectations."
Beijing has not commented on the development yet.
Before his detention, Yang wrote about Chinese and US politics as a high-profile blogger and also wrote a series of spy novels.
In May 2021, a Beijing court heard his trial in secret and the case against him has never been publicly disclosed.
The writer denies working as a spy for Australia or the US.
Yang suffering from health issues
The suspended death sentence given to Yang has further strained the relations between Australia and China.
In October last year, his two sons, who live in Australia, wrote to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during his visit to China, to urge Beijing to seek their father's release on medical grounds.
Yang was told in 2023 that he had a four-inch cyst on his kidney that may require surgery.
The writer's supporters have said that the he should be released on medical parole.
(With inputs from agencies)