Australian writer Yang Hengjun received a suspended death sentence from a Chinese court five years after he was arrested on espionage charges, UNN reports citing the BBC.
Details
According to Australian officials, the sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment in two years.
Dr. Yang, a scholar and writer who has blogged about Chinese public affairs, rejects the allegations, which have not been made public.
The Australian government says it is "shocked" by the result.
This followed a landmark visit to China by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese late last year, aimed at improving relations that had been deteriorating in recent years.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong summoned China's ambassador to Australia for an explanation and said on Monday that the government would "communicate" its response to Beijing in "the strongest possible terms.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters that Dr. Yang's case was "more strictly handled" in accordance with the law and that his judicial and consular rights were respected.
Addendum
Dr. Yang, who used to work for China's Ministry of State Security, was nicknamed a "democracy peddler," but his articles often avoided direct criticism of the government, the publication said.
He had been living in New York, but in January 2019, he traveled to Guangzhou with his wife and her child (both Chinese citizens) on a visa when he was intercepted at the airport. Since then, the 58-year-old's case has largely unfolded behind closed doors, including a secret trial in 2021.