Yang Hengjun

Yang Hengjun (simplified Chinese: 杨恒均; traditional Chinese: 楊恒均; pinyin: Yáng Héngjūn born 1965 in Hubei, China) whose legal name is Yang Jun[1] (杨军; 楊軍; Yáng Jūn), is a Chinese-Australian writer and blogger.[2]

In this Chinese name, the family name is Yang.

According to Yang's own accounts, he studied at Fudan University.[1] After graduating, Yang worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. China's Foreign Ministry denied Yang had ever been employed by the ministry, according to a Reuters report in 2019.[1] From 1992 to 1997, Yang worked in Hong Kong as the manager of a mainland Chinese company. Afterwards, he went to the U.S. as a senior fellow of the Atlantic Council. Yang is believed to become an Australian citizen in the early 2000s,[1] while still holding a PRC passport.. Yang is regarded as a divisive figure among overseas Chinese dissidents and activists.[1] Yang is currently under arrest by the Chinese Government, facing one charge of espionage, but the basis of the charge was unknown.[3]

Personal life

Yang has been a visiting scholar at Columbia University in New York for two years before being detained in China in January 2019.[4] Yang is married to a prominent nationalist blogger, Yuan Ruijuan (alternate: Yuan Xiaoliang).[1]

Career

According to The New York Times, Yang was a diplomat for the People's Republic of China, working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[4][5] The Foreign Ministry denied Yang had ever been employed by the ministry, according to a Reuters report in 2019.[1]

Based on his abundant personal experience "within the Chinese system", Yang wrote spy novels in English and Chinese, under the pen name Wei Shi.[4][1] His first novel, Fatal Weakness, is the first in his spy trilogy using himself as a role model. It is the story of a U.S.-China double agent who ultimately works for neither side but instead serves his own personal agenda. It is only available on his blog and is written only in Chinese. There are no other translations available.

In U.S., Yang spent most of his time running a “daigou” store on China's popular mobile platform WeChat, selling luxury bags, vitamins, baby formula and watches procured overseas for buyers inside China.[1] Some critics said Yang stopped criticising the ruling Chinese Communist Party in favour of protecting his personal and business interests.[1]

Detentions

2011

On 20 March 2011, it was alleged Yang disappeared from Guangzhou airport after phoning a friend to report that three men were following him. Commentators believe that he was detained as a result of government crackdown on activists, lawyers and bloggers following calls for a 'Jasmine' revolution in China since February 2011. He later contacted his family in Australia saying his disappearance was all a "misunderstanding" and "I've been sick, nothing else, and my phone battery was dead for two days so I could not contact my family. I'm very sorry about stirring up so much trouble in both countries."[6]

2019

On 18 January 2019, he was again detained by Chinese authorities. He had arrived in Guangzhou from the U.S. due to the imminent expiry of his family's visas, with his wife and daughter. He was awaiting Australian visas for his wife and daughter. During a connection, he was arrested while on his way to the connecting flight to Shanghai.[4][5] Yang's detention was believed to relate to his international connections, according to Feng Chongyi, an academic at the University of Technology in Sydney.[1]

Yang was charged with espionage in August 2019. Australian barrister Julian McMahon is said to be assisting with the case.[7]

On 29 August 2019, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Nine News, "These suggestions that he's acted as a spy for Australia are absolutely untrue and we'll be protecting and seeking to support our citizen, as we have been doing now for some period of time,"[8]

Political activism

During the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay and ensuing protests, Yang called for Chinese students in Australia to show restraint, and warned that overt Chinese nationalism might create racial tensions between Asians and white Australians.[9]

See also

References
  1. Shepherd, Christian; Packham, Colin (27 January 2019). "Spy novels, 'daigou' and democracy: the many lives of Australian..." Reuters. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  2. "Beijing formally accuses detained Chinese-Australian writer of spying". CBC. Associated Press. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  3. Barrett, Jonathan; Packham, Colin (27 August 2019). "Australian writer held for seven months in China faces espionage..." Reuters. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  4. Damien Cave; Chris Buckley (23 January 2019). "Chinese-Australian Writer Yang Hengjun Detained in China". The New York Times. Mr. Yang, [...] who worked for the Chinese foreign ministry[...]
  5. Nick McKenzie; Fergus Hunter; Kirsty Needham (23 January 2019). "China confirms detention of Australian blogger Yang Hengjun". The Sydney Morning Herald. The confirmation that Yang, [...] former Chinese diplomat,
  6. Wong, Edward (2 April 2011). "Australia Inquires About a Writer Missing in China". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  7. Fergus Hunter, Kirsty Needham "'Very concerned': China charges Australian writer with 'espionage" https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/spying-for-australia-australian-writer-yang-hengjun-charged-with-espionage-20190827-p52l30.html
  8. Angus Watson; Steven Jiang. "Australian PM says detained writer Yang Hengjun is not a spy". CNN. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  9. John Garnaut; Maya Li (19 April 2008). "Chinese writer's call for restraint unleashes firestorm". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
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