The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs has announced that an Australian writer accused of espionage in China has been sentenced to a suspended death sentence.
Australian Foreign Minister Wong held a press conference on the 5th to announce that Australian author Yang Hengjun (58) has been sentenced to death by a court in Beijing.
If he behaves well in prison for two years, his sentence will be commuted to life imprisonment.
Mr. Yang was a former Chinese diplomat who acquired Australian nationality after retiring and worked as a writer. In January 2019, he was detained by Chinese intelligence agencies, and in October of the following year, he was charged with espionage. I did.
There were concerns about Yang's health after a kidney problem was discovered last year, and the Australian government had called for his early release.
Australian Foreign Minister Wong said he was disappointed in the Chinese legal system, but said, ``We are shocked by this outcome. We hope that Mr. Yang will be reunited with his family. We will continue to speak out for him.'' He expressed his intention to continue seeking their release.