BEIJING — A veteran Chinese language journalist who labored at a ruling Communist Get together-affiliated newspaper and was a Harvard College fellow faces espionage expenses after being detained whereas assembly with a Japanese diplomat in a restaurant, his household stated Monday.
Dong Yuyu, deputy head of the editorial division at Guangming Every day, recurrently met with overseas journalists and diplomats to assist perceive international traits. However Chinese language authorities regarded his contacts with overseas diplomats as proof of spying, in accordance with a household assertion.
Dong is the most recent in a sequence of liberal Chinese language voices to be accused by the federal government of being linked to what it phrases overseas interference.
As a non-Communist Get together member, he was probably the most pro-reform voices at Guangming Every day and wrote articles in favor of an unbiased authorized system, his household stated. He was awarded a Nieman fellowship at Harvard College in 2006-07 and have become a visiting fellow at Keio College in Japan in 2010. 4 years later, he served as a visiting professor at Hokkaido College in Japan.
However his writings induced him issues in China. In 2017, an investigation by get together authorities discovered that a few of his articles had been “anti-socialist” and Dong was threatened with demotion, his household stated.
He was detained in February 2022 whereas consuming lunch with a Japanese diplomat at a restaurant in a Beijing resort the place he typically met with overseas pals, the assertion stated. The diplomat was additionally detained, triggering a robust protest from Japan’s Overseas Ministry. The diplomat was launched after a number of hours, however Dong has remained in detention.
Final month, his household was informed that Dong can be tried however the date continues to be unclear, the assertion stated. In China, espionage will be penalized with a jail time period of greater than 10 years.
On Tuesday, Chinese language Overseas Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated she didn’t know the particular scenario about Dong’s case when requested about it. The ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for additional remark.
Dong’s case has drawn worldwide consideration, with the Nationwide Press Membership in Washington, D.C., issuing an announcement on Monday calling for his launch.
Greater than 60 folks, together with outstanding overseas journalists and teachers, additionally signed a petition urging the Chinese language authorities to rethink the costs in opposition to Dong, saying conferences with overseas diplomats and journalists shouldn’t be thought to be proof of espionage.
“Who would need to come to China to fulfill Chinese language journalists, teachers or diplomats if these conferences could possibly be used as proof that the Chinese language aspect is committing espionage?” they wrote within the petition.
Individually, a gaggle of writers and students issued an announcement on Saturday calling for the discharge of Taiwan-based writer Li Yanhe, who was reportedly detained in Shanghai. They stated his lawyer and relations haven’t been allowed to see him. Radio Free Asia reported final week that Li was detained throughout a visit to go to family in China.
Final 12 months, an Australian journalist, Cheng Lei, was tried in China on nationwide safety expenses however has not but discovered of the decision, Australian Overseas Minister Penny Wong stated final month. Cheng was born in China and was a journalist for CGTN, the English-language channel of China Central Tv. She was detained in August 2019 and accused by China of sharing state secrets and techniques.