Australia on Wednesday expressed deep concern at the prosecution of writer Yang Hengjun after Beijing officials confirmed an espionage case against him would go ahead.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said officials had been shown no evidence to support charges against the Chinese-Australian, despite repeatedly asking Beijing for details of the case.

"The government is disappointed and deeply concerned that Chinese authorities have decided to prosecute Australian citizen and academic Dr Yang Hengjun," Payne said in a statement.

Relations between China and Australia have been peppered with spy scandals and trade rows in recent months, with both sides accusing the other of harassing citizens as diplomatic leverage.

Yang Hengjun, a pen name for the spy novelist and former diplomat Yang Jun, became an Australian citizen in 2002.

A prolific blogger on politics in China and described by fans as the "democracy peddler", he was taken into custody in January 2019 during a rare visit to his homeland, prompting protests from the Australian government.

Authorities took over a year to announce the espionage charge against him.

Since then, Beijing has said little about Yang's fate, while Australia's foreign minister has accused Chinese authorities of refusing him access to his family or lawyers, and interrogating him while shackled.

On Monday Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian confirmed "espionage" charges had been filed against Yang and that the case had been accepted by a court.

"The relevant Chinese departments are strictly handling the case according to law, and are fully protecting all of Yang Jun's legal rights," he added.

His lawyer, Shang Baojun, told AFP that Yang's case had entered the court of first instance, though in China's opaque legal system that does not mean his trial has started.

The writer has denied the charges.

Yang is one of several foreign nationals arrested in China on allegations of spying in recent years.

Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig have been held in Chinese prisons since December 2018, charged with espionage but yet to go on trial.

Australian Cheng Lei, an anchor for China's English-language state broadcaster CGTN, has been detained since at least August 14.

She stands accused of "criminal activities endangering China's national security".

Two other Australian reporters — Bill Birtles and Michael Smith — fled China shortly after Cheng's detention, also fearing arrest.

Trudeau slams China on human rights, 'coercive diplomacy'
Ottawa (AFP) Oct 14, 2020 –

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has warned China that its "coercive diplomacy," repressive measures in Hong Kong and detention of Uighur Muslims are counterproductive for itself and the rest of the world.

Trudeau took aim at Beijing's record as he marked the 50th anniversary of Canada establishing diplomatic ties with China.

"We will remain absolutely committed to working with our allies to ensure that China's approach of coercive diplomacy, its arbitrary detention of two Canadian citizens alongside other citizens of other countries around the world is not viewed as a successful tactic by them," Trudeau said at a press conference Tuesday.

Canadian former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor have been held in China for nearly two years and have been charged with spying.

Canada's ambassador to China obtained "virtual consular access" to Spavor and Kovrig over the weekend, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Saturday.

Trudeau also noted Canada's "concern for the protection of human rights and places like Hong Kong and… with the Uighurs."

Canada will work with "like-minded nations around the world, to impress upon China that its approach to internal affairs and global affairs is not on a particularly productive path for itself or for all of us," he added.

Western governments see the detention of the two Canadians as retaliation for Canada's arrest of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and daughter of its founder.

Meng was arrested on a US warrant in December 2018 during a stopover in Vancouver and is charged with bank fraud related to violations of US sanctions against Iran. She has been fighting extradition ever since.

In response to Trudeau's comments, Beijing said Meng's arrest was "real arbitrary detention and coercive diplomacy", and accused the Canadian government of "hypocrisy and weakness" during a foreign ministry briefing Wednesday.