Australia says China’s death sentence for writer Yang Jun will “impact relations”

Sydney:

Australia warned on Thursday that China’s suspended death sentence to writer Yang Jun would hamper improving relations and increase public distrust of Beijing.

Addressing the sentencing of Chinese-Australian dissident Yang for alleged spying, Foreign Minister Penny Wong told MPs, “Decisions of this nature will have an impact on relations.”

“This decision will inevitably impact Australians who feel deeply about this tragic development,” he said. He suggested it was “unfortunately true” that this would damage the way the Chinese system is viewed.

The sentence chilled Australia-China relations, which had been improving after years of standoff. But Wong vowed to continue the engagement.

“We know we have very different systems, that doesn’t mean we won’t continue to have conversations,” Wong said.

“I would say our national interest requires us to remain engaged, I would say Dr. Yang’s interests require us to remain engaged.”

Yang, a Chinese-born Australian citizen, has been in jail since 2019 on espionage charges, which he denies.

He has spoken of supporters being tortured at the secret detention site and expressed fear that coerced confessions could be used against them.

Earlier, Australia’s Foreign Ministry said it understood his sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment if no “serious crimes” were committed for two years.

Relations between Canberra and Beijing deteriorated in 2018, when Australia excluded Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei from its 5G network.

Then in 2020, Australia called for an international investigation into the origins of COVID-19 – an action China considered politically motivated.

In response, Beijing imposed high tariffs on key Australian exports, including barley, beef and wine, while blocking its coal imports.

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