Australia envoy denied entry to trial in Beijing

China firmly rejects Canberra’s attempts to intervene in the trial of detained Australian writer Yang Hengjun, the foreign ministry said on Thursday, hours after the Australian envoy was denied entry inside a Beijing court where the author’s case was being heard. Graham Fletcher, the Australian ambassador to China, was stopped from entering the heavily-guarded Beijing No 2 Intermediate People’s Court as the court began hearing Yang’s case. The high profile trial of Yang, 56, an Australian-Chinese writer charged with espionage by China, started on Thursday, two years after he was picked up from an airport by Chinese authorities. A popular blogger, Yang had written spy novels until he was picked up from Guangzhou airport in 2019. Yang faces a possible death sentence if found guilty of having “endangered national security” while the minimum sentence is three years.

“Unfortunately, we have just been denied entry to the court. The reason given was because of the pandemic situation but the foreign ministry has also told us it is because it is a national security case therefore, we are not permitted to attend it,” agency reports quoted Ambassador Fletcher as saying outside the court. “This is deeply regrettable and concerning and unsatisfactory. We have had long standing concerns about this case, including lack of transparency, and therefore have concluded it is an instance of arbitrary detention,” he said.

Responding to questions on the case, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian said China firmly opposes Australia’s unreasonable interference with China’s handling of cases according to law and gross interference in China’s judicial sovereignty.Zhao added that China has lodged solemn representations with Australia about the case.Rights groups have spoken out against Yang’s detention and trial.