‘Tight hugs’: Australian journalist Cheng Lei speaks after freedom from China

The Prime Minister has announced China has released Australian journalist Cheng Lei after she was detained in Beijing for three years.

Australian journalist Cheng Lei, released after being detained in China, has made a brief statement after reuniting with her family.

China released Ms Cheng, a former TV anchor in China, after three years in a Beijing jail after she allegedly broke China’s national security laws.

“Tight hugs, teary screams, holding my kids in the spring sunshine,” Ms Cheng said via Twitter (now X) on Wednesday night, after touching down in Melbourne.

“Trees shimmy from the breeze. I can see the entirety of the sky now! Thank you Aussies.”

Cheng Lei has been released from detention by China and is home in Australia. (Photo By Piaras Adheach/Sportsfile for Web Summit via Getty Images)

Ms Cheng arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday she had been detained in China for more than three years.

The mother-of-two’s trial has been held behind closed doors and the full details of her alleged offences have been kept opaque.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he had spoken to Ms Cheng on Wednesday after her return to Australia.

“(It is) an outcome that the Australian government has been seeking for a long period of time and her return will be warmly welcomed not just by her family and friends, but by all Australians,” he said.

“We know that the Australian people very much wanted to see Cheng Lei reunited with her young kids.

“She spent three years in circumstances that were very difficult.

“She’s a very strong and resilient person. And when I spoke with her, she was delighted to be back in Melbourne.”
He asked for her privacy to be respected as she settles back in to life in Australia.

Mr Albanese made the announcement in Melbourne on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

Cheng Lei pictured with Foreign Affairs minister Penny Wong and Australia’s ambassador to China, Graham Fletcher.

The Prime Minister and various senior ministers had raised the issue of Ms Cheng with their Chinese counterparts during meetings and advocated for her release.

The detention of Ms Cheng had been a sticking point for Mr Albanese’s expected visit to China. He had accepted an open invitation to visit earlier in the year but no firm plans had been set.

All Australians will be relieved to hear that Ms Cheng Lei has returned to her family after more than three years apart.

The Government has consistently advocated for Ms Cheng since her detention in August 2020.

An honour to welcome her home to Australia today. pic.twitter.com/qIANwN7J2T

— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) October 11, 2023

Mr Albanese said on Wednesday a date for the visit was still yet to be confirmed but that it would be “this year”.

Ms Cheng, a Chinese-born Australian, had spent three years detained in China.

She penned an open letter to mark the anniversary this weekend, writing lovingly of Australia and missing nature and the sunshine.

Ms Cheng said to the Prime Minister she was delighted to be back in Melbourne.

Meanwhile, Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun remains detained in China after being imprisoned in 2019.

The democracy activist was detained in 2019 during a visit to see family in China and charged with espionage. He has denied the accusations.
“We continue to advocate for Dr Yang’s rights and wellbeing with Chinese authorities at all levels, whether that be in Canberra or in Beijing,” Mr Albanese said.

“We’ve done so consistently, since Dr. Yang was detained in January 2019.”