Australian journalist Cheng Lei, who had been detained in China on charges related to national security for an extended period exceeding three years, has, as of Wednesday, returned to her homeland, according to statements made by Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese.
Cheng, aged 48, formerly a prominent business television anchor for Chinese state television, found herself detained in August of 2020 on allegations of disseminating classified information to a foreign nation. Following a secretive trial conducted in March of 2022, Cheng has now arrived in Melbourne, where she has been joyfully reunited with her two children and extended family, as announced by Prime Minister Albanese during a press conference.
In an expression of overwhelming emotion, Cheng shared her gratitude on social media, stating, “Tight hugs, teary screams, holding my kids in the spring sunshine. Trees shimmy from the breeze. I can see the entirety of the sky now! Thank you Aussies.”
Prime Minister Albanese underscored the protracted efforts of his government in facilitating Cheng’s reunion with her children, noting that her return has elicited a warm reception not only from her immediate family and friends but from the entire Australian nation.
