After spending three years in a Chinese prison, Australian journalist Cheng Lei has issued a warning to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the communist country.
As Albanese wraps up his six-day diplomatic tour of China, Lei is questioning whether the Australian government remains “clear-eyed” about China’s intentions.
A Personal Tragedy
Lei was imprisoned in 2020 on unfounded allegations of “illegally supplying state secrets overseas”.
She spent almost three years behind bars, and her experiences have left a lasting impact.
In a recent op-ed, Lei wrote that she doesn’t want to be a symbol of disengagement, but rather a reminder of China’s true nature – one that hides its brutal arrests of dissidents and internment camps like Xinjiang.
A Warning to Albanese
Lei is asking the Prime Minister a tough question: now that relations with China are improving, is it easier or harder to bring up the hard subjects?
As Albaniaese posed for photos at tourist spots, including the Great Wall of China, Lei’s warning serves as a stark reminder of the country’s human rights abuses.
Lei’s story is a powerful warning to Australia about the need for critical thinking when dealing with China. Will Albanese take heed?