Australian journalist Cheng Lei has been formally arrested in China after some six months in detention "on suspicion of illegally supplying state secrets overseas," Australia's government said.
The big picture: Already strained relations between China and Australia have deteriorated since Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison last year called for an independent inquiry into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In September, two other Australian journalists were flown home from China after seeking diplomatic refuge following visits by police.
- The police said they were "persons of interest in an investigation" into Cheng, who had been a TV presenter for Chinese state media outlet CGTN before her detention, according to the journalists.
What they're saying: "We expect basic standards of justice, procedural fairness and humane treatment to be met, in accordance with international norms," said Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne in a statement.
