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John Power

A dissident Chinese-Australian writer has been detained in China, according to Australia’s embassy in Beijing.
Yang Hengjun, a novelist and former Chinese diplomat, went missing on Saturday after arriving in Guangzhou on a flight from New York.
Yet it was not until Wednesday that Chinese authorities informed the Australian embassy that Yang had been detained.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying had said earlier in the day that she was not aware of the case but would ask “relevant departments” about the matter.
 
In a statement on its website, Australia‘s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was “seeking to clarify the nature of this detention” and obtain consular access to Yang “as a matter of priority”.
Under a consular agreement between China and Australia, Beijing is obliged to tell Canberra of the arrest of any Australian citizen within three days.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported earlier on Wednesday that Yang, an advocate of democratic reform and critic of Chinese influence overseas who holds Australian citizenship, had been detained by state security agents in Guangzhou airport on Saturday, citing an anonymous witness.
US confirms it will continue to seek extradition of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou
Feng Chongyi, an associate professor at the University of Technology, Sydney who was detained in China for a week and interrogated by authorities in 2017, said he had argued with his friend Yang about the danger of travelling to China soon before his disappearance.
“He thought politically he’s safe, he would not be targeted by the Chinese authorities,” Feng said, explaining that Yang felt he had toned down his criticism of China in recent years.

Yang’s disappearance has sparked fears that he may be the latest victim in a string of arrests widely seen as punishment for Canada’s detention of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States.
Australia recently expressed concern about China’s detention of two Canadians, seemingly in retaliation for Meng’s arrest on suspicion of evading US sanctions against Iran.
Earlier this month, Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said that the arrests of political analyst Michael Kovrig and consultant Michael Spavor had sent a “chill” through the sinologist community.
China’s arrest of Kovrig, Spavor sends chill through US academics
On Tuesday, nearly 150 scholars and former diplomats released an open letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping calling for the release of the two men.
“Of course, he [Yang] has never been welcome by Chinese authorities, but was somehow allowed to survive in China …” said Feng. “The only element that has changed the situation fundamentally is the Huawei case.”
Yang’s friend and journalist John Garnaut described him as “brilliant” and “a courageous and committed democrat”

“This will reverberate globally, if authorities do not quickly find an off-ramp,” he warned.
Yang, who had worked in the ministry of foreign affairs in Beijing, wrote a series of spy novels after leaving the country as well as a popular Chinese-language blog.
Once described as China’s “most influential political blogger”, he has gone missing before in 2011 – an experience he characterised as a “misunderstanding” when he resurfaced days later.
Huawei to seek swift resolution for detained executive
Yang’s arrest is likely to inflame relations between China and Australia, which reached a nadir last year after Canberra passed anti-foreign interference laws widely seen as directed at Beijing.
“Beijing’s actions are making it more difficult for ‘friends of China’ in Australia to defend their softly, softly position,” said Clive Hamilton, the author of Silent Invasion: China’s Influence in Australia. “More and more prominent Australians believe that Beijing is arrogant and bullying, and the fact is that people don’t like to be bullied.”
While closely aligned with Washington in defence and foreign affairs, Canberra is hugely dependent on Beijing for investment and trade. Australia’s exports to China topped A$110 billion (US$78.5 billion) in 2016-2017, about 30 per cent of the total.
Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne is expected to travel to China tomorrow for unrelated talks with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe.
 Additional reporting by Jun Mai and Agence France-Presse


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China confirms detention of dissident Australian dual national Yang Hengjun

Yang Hengjun’s disappearance has prompted fears that he may be the latest victim of an increasingly broad dragnet by the Chinese authorities. Photo: Facebook

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying holds a press conference in Beijing on Dec. 19, 2018. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

UTS Professor Chongyi Feng

This handout picture shows Clive Hamilton. Photo : Alamy [POSTMAGAZINE 19NOV17]

Australia under pressure to confront China over detained activists and foreigners

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne. Photo: EPA

FILE - In this file image made from a video taken on March 28, 2018, Michael Kovrig, an adviser with the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based non-governmental organization, speaks during an interview in Hong Kong. Kovrig, a Canadian, disappeared days after Canada detained Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. It's not uncommon for individuals who speak out against the government to disappear in China, but the scope of the "disappeared" has expanded since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2013. Not only dissidents and activists, but also high-level officials, Marxists, foreigners and even a movie star _ people who never publicly opposed the ruling Communist Party, have been whisked away by police to unknown destinations. (AP Photo/File)

In this Feb. 2015, photo released by Li Wenzu, Wang Quanzhang, left, and his wife Li Wenzu poses for a photo with their son at a park in eastern China's Shandong province. About two dozen plainclothes police are stationed Wednesday Dec. 26, 2018, outside a courthouse in northern China as the trial of Wang, a prominent human rights lawyer was expected to unfold. Wang is among more than 200 lawyers and legal activists who were detained in a sweeping 2015 crackdown. The advocate for the banned Falun Gong meditation sect was charged with subversion of state power in 2016. He has been held without access to his lawyers or family for more than three years. (Wang Quanxiu via AP)

This TV image provided by CTV to AFP shows Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou as she exits the court registry following the bail hearing at British Columbia Superior Courts in Vancouver, British Columbia on December 11, 2018. - Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, was released on Can$10 million (US$7.5 million) bail on Tuesday in a case that has rattled relations between China, the United States and Canada. (Photo by - / CTV / AFP) / - Canada OUT

Li Wenzu, the wive prominent Chinese rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang, has her head shaved in protest over the government's treatment of her husband in Beijing, China, December 17, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

FILE - In this file image made from video taken on March 2, 2017, Michael Spavor, director of Paektu Cultural Exchange, talks during a Skype interview in Yanji, China. Spavor, a Canadian, disappeared days after Canada detained Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou. It's not uncommon for individuals who speak out against the government to disappear in China, but the scope of the "disappeared" has expanded since President Xi Jinping came to power in 2013. Not only dissidents and activists, but also high-level officials, Marxists, foreigners and even a movie star, people who never publicly opposed the ruling Communist Party, have been whisked away by police to unknown destinations. (AP Photo/File)

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The novelist, former Chinese diplomat and democracy activist went missing soon after he arrived in southern China’s Guangzhou last week


Yang Hengjun – a novelist, former Chinese diplomat and democracy activist – went missing soon after he arrived in southern China’s Guangzhou last week.


China-Australia relations