SYDNEY – China has accused an Australian journalist of sharing state secrets abroad after she was detained about six months ago, raising concerns about the intimidation of foreign media and deepening a diplomatic dispute that cooled bilateral trade.
Cheng Lei, an anchor for the Chinese government’s English-language television news channel, was officially charged Friday after being detained by local authorities earlier on August 13. Ms. Cheng’s detention and the evacuation of two other Australian reporters from China weeks later illustrated the dangers journalists face while working in the country.
Australia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it has repeatedly raised concerns about her situation among senior Chinese officials. China has the allegations with which Ms. Cheng is confronted, in no detail, including what state secrets she believes have been disclosed or to which country.
Ms. Cheng trained at the Australian University of Queensland and has worked for CGTN since 2012, according to her LinkedIn profile at the time of her detention. Australian Embassy officials have visited Ms Cheng six times since she was detained, most recently on January 27.
A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry was not readily available to comment.