China Has Detained Australian CGTN News Anchor, Cheng Lei In Beijing

A prominent Australian news anchor working for one of China's television networks has been detained in Beijing, China amid the tensions rising between the two countries.

According to a report, Cheng Lei who is a journalist for the English-language network, CGTN, had been detained as per the confirmation of Australia's foreign minister, Marise Payne, on Monday.

Payne said that Cheng Lei's detention had been received by the Australian government on August 14 through a "formal notification" informing them that the journalist is being held by Beijing authorities.

Payne added that Cheng had been consulting with Australian consular officials regarding her situation from her detention facility in Beijing through a video link on August 27. She had also been in touch with her family.

Reportedly, a statement had said that Cheng's family had been in "close consultation" with the government and that they are doing everything they can as a family to support her.

Other details regarding the detention had not been provided but ABC, Australia's national broadcaster, said that the friends of Cheng started to raise concerns after she stopped answering their messages in the previous month.

The statement published by the public broadcaster also said that Cheng's family had asked for respect with regards to the due process to be held in China and for understanding as to why no further comment can be given at this time.

Currently, ABC added that Cheng is being held under a form of detention called "residential surveillance at a designated location." In this type of detention, investigators are allowed to hold and question a suspect even if he is not yet formally arrested.

The ties between the two countries had started to deteriorate due to Australia's role in previous calls for an investigation into the origins of the novel coronavirus which originated in the Chinese city, Wuhan. Since then, China has taken steps to ban key Australian imports and had even discouraged its students and tourists from travelling or enrolling in the country.