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An Australian journalist for CGTN, the English-language arm of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, has been formally arrested by Chinese authorities for "illegally supplying state secrets overseas", AFP reported.

Detained with no explanation

The formal charge came months after the business anchor, named Cheng Lei, was detained in China since Aug. 13, 2020, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement on Monday, Feb. 8.

Cheng, who was born in China and raised in Australia, has been held under "residential surveillance at a designated location", which means detainees can be imprisoned and questioned for up to six months without access to lawyers and contact with the outside world, ABC News reported.

The Australian government has regularly raised its concerns regarding her detention to senior officials, including her welfare and conditions of detention, Payne added.

She also said Australian embassy officials have visited Cheng six times since her detention.

China says Australia should stop interfering

Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday, Feb. 8, at a regular press conference that China is "a country under rule of law", where "all legal rights of the relevant personnel are fully guaranteed", Global Times reported.

Wang further said: "Australia should respect China's judicial sovereignty and stop interfering in China's lawful handling of cases in any way."

Fraught relations

Cheng's arrest was the latest incident that raised already fraught tensions between China and Australia.

Bilateral relations between both countries have deteriorated rapidly in recent months, with the two countries trading barbs over issues such as trade and the Covid-19 pandemic.

In apparent retaliation to Australia for supporting calls for an international probe into the origin of Covid-19 and efforts to investigate Chinese foreign influence at its universities, China has made its own moves.

China warned its people not to study in Australia, although it ostensibly cited incidents of racially-motivated violence in Australia.

It also introduced tariffs and other restrictions on Australian exports, such as beef, barley, wine and coal, citing technical concerns over dumping.

String of arrests

Cheng's arrest came after another Australian citizen was charged on Oct. 7, 2020, following more than 20 months of detainment from January 2019, due to writings deemed by authorities to be critical of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Yang Hengjun, a democracy advocate and former employee of the Chinese foreign affairs ministry, maintained his innocence.

He told his family and friends that he had not confessed to anything, The Guardian said, despite Chinese reports that confessed to espionage. He added that what happened to him was "political persecution".

Chinese journalist Haze Fan, who was working for Bloomberg, was detained in December last year after being accused of endangering China's national security.

Top image via CGTN & Australia Global Alumni/YouTube