SYDNEY - Tensions between Australia and China have exploded after prominent writer and blogger Yang Hengjun was handed a suspended death sentence in Beijing Monday on opaque espionage charges.
Dr. Yang, a 58-year old novelist arrested in 2019, was accused of spying after criticizing human rights abuses and advocating for democracy on his blog. His closed-door trial and now chilling verdict have provoked outrage in Canberra.
I spoke today with Foreign Minister Penny Wong who claimed Australia is "appalled" and will protest in the "strongest terms." She stressed that Yang has been denied basic legal rights and humane treatment.
Since the prominent scholar's detention, Australia-China relations have unraveled. Analysts say this harsh sentence will likely worsen bilateral ties even further. It displays the ruthlessness President Xi Jinping uses to silence dissent and flout international norms.
Yang's supporters argue he's being politically persecuted for his activism. As writer Feng Chongyi told me, "He is punished by the Chinese government for his criticism...and his advocacy for universal values."
Now with avenues of appeal still possible, all eyes turn to whether Yang's declining health can withstand nearly 4 years behind bars. His Australia-based family worries the outspoken "democracy peddler" will die in a Chinese prison cell.