Australian government “horrified” by death penalty for China critics. Yang Hengjun is an Australian citizen - and an occasional critic of Chinese politics.
In January 2019, he traveled with his wife and child from New York to Guangzhou in southern China. After his arrival he disappeared. It was only later that his arrest became 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 in the Chinese Foreign Ministry.