China Arrests Australian TV Anchor on National Security Charge
- Australia says anchor Cheng Lei has been formally arrested
- Comes amid deteriorating tensions between the two countries
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China has formally arrested an Australian citizen who was formerly a news anchor for Chinese state television, escalating a case that has contributed to tensions between Beijing and Canberra.
Cheng Lei, a Chinese-born Australian who most recently worked for state broadcaster CGTN, was formally arrested in China on Feb. 5 following six months of detention, the office of Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement on Monday. China’s Foreign Ministry said later that judicial authorities had concluded Cheng “conducted illegal activities on supplying state secrets overseas” and approved her arrest.