China charges Australian man with espionage

China has charged detained Australian writer Yang Hengjun with espionage. Dr Yang has been held in residential detention in Beijing since January, while his wife, a permanent Australian resident, has been banned from leaving the country. Last month Dr Yang's lawyer said he expected his client to be formally charged with endangering national security. Australian Government officials have repeatedly expressed frustration at the secrecy of the investigation, the minimum consular access made available and the substance of the allegations against Dr Yang. Defence Minister Marise Payne said the government has “serious concerns for Dr Yang's welfare”, and about the conditions under which he was being been held. “We have expressed these in clear terms to the Chinese authorities,” she said.

from World | Daily Telegraph https://ift.tt/2ZsKvHO