Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Chinese authorities have detained writer and blogger Yang Hengjun, a former Chinese diplomat who holds Australian citizenship, on national security grounds.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying confirmed that Beijing had officially notified Australia that Yang had been placed under "coercive measures”, adding that his rights and interests would be protected in accordance with the law.
For her part, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne urged China to handle the matter "transparently and fairly". She added that embassy officials would meet with the Chinese side on Thursday to "arrange consular access at the earliest possible opportunity".
Based in New York, Yang is a visiting scholar at Columbia University and a popular blogger with a great following.
"He is one of the most influential bloggers on political issues in China, where he's earned the nickname of 'Democracy Peddler' through talking about democracy and human rights," said his friend Feng Chongyi, an academic at University of Technology Sydney.
His detention comes in the wake of that of two Canadian citizens. More than a hundred diplomats and academics wrote to President Xi Jinping demanding their release.
