Australian under arrest for spying, Beijing confirms

An Australian academic has been arrested in China for spying, Beijing said on Tuesday, prompting Canberra to demand that the country upholds basic standards of justice.

Yang Jun, who also goes by his pen name Yang Hengjun, was detained in January shortly after making a rare return to China from the US.

Beijing said he was formally arrested on Friday and that the case was being further processed.

Australian foreign minister Marise Payne said earlier on Tuesday that she was very concerned that Yang – a former official turned author – had been arrested on suspicion of espionage.

“We expect that basic standards of justice and procedural fairness are met,” she said.

After months without access to his lawyer or family, Yang now faces trial on charges that could bring a lengthy prison sentence.

China’s near-silence about Yang’s fate has been a point of friction in relations with Australia that have markedly deteriorated in recent months.

Payne said she had raised the case five times with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

“Dr Yang has been held in Beijing in harsh conditions without charge for more than seven months,” Payne said, referencing international rules prohibiting torture.

“Since that time, China has not explained the reasons for Dr Yang’s detention, nor has it allowed him access to his lawyers or family visits.”

Foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said China had acted in accordance with the law and “fully guarantees the rights of Yang Jun”, who he said was in good health.

He rejected criticism from Canberra over the conditions of Yang’s detention.

“The Chinese side has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Australian side’s statement on the case,” Geng said.

“The Australian side should earnestly respect China’s judicial sovereignty and must not intervene in any way to China’s handling of the case.”

Australia has traditionally been keen to avoid friction with Beijing.

Yang is the latest in a string of foreign nationals to be arrested in China and charged with espionage or attempting to steal state secrets.

Former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, both from Canada, were detained in December.