Detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei’s heartfelt public message to Australia from inside a Beijing prison

The detained Australian journalist has written a heartfelt public message to her home country as she embarks on the three year anniversary of her imprisonment in China.

Detained Chinese Australian Cheng Lei.

Detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei can only see sunlight for 10 hours a year in her Chinese jail and has moments where she gives herself pretend hugs from her family members, as she longs to return to Australia and have sea salt in her ears and sand between her toes.

The 48-year-old has broken her silence to send a lengthy public message home to Australia for the first time since she was detained by the Chinese Ministry of State Security in 2020 and ahead of this Sunday’s three-year anniversary since she was imprisoned in a Beijing jail.

In a public message that she requested be shared with the Australian public, the former anchor for the Chinese government’s English TV channel, CGTN, speaks fondly of the things many people take for granted – sunlight, nature and her family.

“I miss the sun. In my cell, the sunlight shines through the window but I can stand in it for only 10 hours a year,” she said in her message shared with The Australian.

“Every year the bedding is taken into the sun for two hours to air, when it came back last time, I wrapped myself in the doona and pretended I was being hugged by my family under the sun.

“I can’t believe I used to avoid the sun when I was living back in Australia, although knowing Melbourne weather, it will probably rain for the first two weeks after I return.”

But in her message she longs to be reunited with her two children, her 14-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son, who live with her mother in Melbourne.

“Most of all I miss my children,” she said.

Chinese-Australian journalist Cheng Lei.

The 48-year-old was detained on August 13, 2020, after being charged with providing state secrets to foreign organisations but very little information and details surrounding her arrest have been made public.

The incident occurred at the time relations between Australia and China had broken down.

A verdict on the matter was last month delayed for the eighth time which means the earliest a verdict can be reached is October.

In her message she also reminisces of her memories in the country she migrated to at age 10.

“This is a love letter to the 25 million people and 7 million square kilometres of land, land abundant in nature, beauty and space,” Cheng said.

“It is not the same in here, I haven’t seen a tree in three years.

“I miss the Australian people, the closing hours of food market stalls, with butchers calling out the end of day prices and Sunday flea markets, immigrant family run takeaway shops.

“I secretly mouth the names of the places I’ve visited and driven through.”

Despite her battles inside prison she has maintained her sense of humour, joking in her message about her “daggy slang from someone in need of ockerism”.

“Growing up Chinese Australian, I had two identities that would often fight for the upper hand depending on the context and the company, but in humour, the Aussie humour wins hands down every time,” she said.

Cheng’s partner Nick Coyle.

“Even though we speak different languages and eat different meals, we laugh the same and have an eye for the absurd.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the federal government would continue to advocate for Cheng’s release.

“Ms Cheng’s message to the public makes clear her deep love for our country. All Australians want to see her reunited with her children,” she said.

“Australia has consistently advocated for Ms Cheng and asked that basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met for Ms Cheng, in accordance with international norms.

“Our thoughts are with Ms Cheng and her loved ones, including her two children.”

The last visit Cheng had with Australian consular officials was on July 27.

Minister Minister Wong recently met with Chinese counterparts including her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Cheng’s partner Nick Coyle, 43, who lives in Port Moresby, said he hoped her case could be dealt with “expeditiously and compassionately as possible”.

“This would be in everyone’s best interests in terms of the bilateral relationship with China, especially for the Australian public looking at these issues,” he said.

“Lei hasn’t been able to be with her daughter going into high school and her son will go into high school next year, these are such important and formative years, not only is Lei missing out but her children are missing out on her.”

Coyle is not the father of Cheng’s two children.

He said the toll her imprisonment has taken on her has been immense.

“Three years is a landmark and the motivation behind the message is to give her a voice about how she feels about her country and her children,” Mr Coyle said.

“It’s enormously difficult for her mum and dad, it’s their only child and they are not getting any younger … these times are precious.”

Originally published as Detained Australian journalist Cheng Lei’s heartfelt public message to Australia from inside a Beijing prison