Foreign Minister Marise Payne says Australian embassy officials in Beijing have held an initial meeting with Chinese authorities to discuss the detention of Australian citizen Yang Hengjun.
Australian diplomats are urgently seeking to establish the reasons for Mr Yang's detention, which was confirmed by China on Wednesday.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne says consular officials in Beijing are seeking urgent clarification on the detention of Australian citizen Yang Hengjun (AAP) Source: AAP
Defence Minister Christopher Pyne said he will be raising the issue when he meets with his counterpart, Minister of National Defence General Wei Fenghe later today.
"I will raise with General Wei that (consular) assistance be allowed be provided as soon as possible. And I will be asking after Mr Yang's welfare."
Under 'residential surveillance'
Mr Pyne said he understands that Mr Yang is not being held in prison, but rather is being detained in some residential facility in Beijing, what he referred to as 'residential surveillance'.
He said he had no further information on the reason for Mr Yang's detention by Chinese authorities.
The writer, democracy activist and former Chinese diplomat was taken by security agents soon after arriving in the country on Saturday.
Minister Payne says Australia expects the "earliest possible" access to the prominent writer, who is yet to be granted consular assistance.
"Our embassy in Beijing has today had an initial meeting with Chinese authorities earlier this afternoon. We have requested and we do expect, consular access at the earliest possible opportunity. That's in accordance with the bilateral consular agreement," Ms Payne said on Thursday afternoon.
Australia seeks 'transparency and fairness' in detention of Yang Hengjun
Payne did not reveal the details of the formal meeting but did say the government is seeking urgent clarification from the Chinese authorities about the nature of the detention and any possible charges.
"We will continue to make representations to China to make sure this is dealt with transparently and fairly," Ms Payne added.
The minister also ruled out upgrading the current travel advice to China in light of the detention.
"I don't think we should make a broad application of such a nature based on this experience," Ms Payne told reporters.
The alarm was raised about Dr Yang's whereabouts after he failed to complete the second leg of a journey from New York to Shanghai.
He left New York on January 18 for Guangzhou, where he was prevented from boarding his connecting flight to Shanghai with his wife and daughter, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Friends believe he was detained by Chinese officials at Guangzhou airport.
Former PM Rudd urges China to grant consular access
Former Prime Minister of Australia Kevin Rudd weighed in on the diplomatic issue, stressing the obligation of China to grant Australia full consular access to Mr Yang.
"China has an international legal obligation under Art 12 of our 1999 Treaty for full consular access and to advise what Chinese law he is alleged to have breached," Mr Rudd tweeted.
Similar concerns were raised for Dr Yang's safety in 2011 when he disappeared after calling a friend from a Chinese airport, claiming he was being followed by three men.
He later said the matter had been a "misunderstanding".
But his current detention comes at a moment of heightened tension between Western countries and an increasingly muscular Beijing, prompting fears that he may be the victim of a dragnet by Chinese security services targeting foreigners.
Concern over 'disturbing' pattern of arbitrary arrests
Relations between China and Australia have been strained by Canberra's decision to ban Chinese telecom giant Huawei from participating in its 5G wireless network over security fears.
Mr Yang's detention followed the recent arrest of a senior executive of Chinese telecom giant Huawei at Vancouver airport, which was then followed by the high profile arrests of two Canadians.
Foreign Minister Payne said on Thursday she did not believe, at this stage, that the cases were connected.
China expert, Professor Rory Medcalf at ANU agreed it was too early to tell if the arrests of the Canadians were connected to Mr Yang's detention.
But he did say the arbitrary arrests of foreign nationals by China was a "disturbing pattern".
Professor Medcalf told SBS News it was also concerning that information on Mr Yang's detention did not come to light sooner.
"China and Australia have a formal agreement where Australian officials are meant to be notified within three days of a detention to be given consular access within five days," he said.
Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada at the request of the United States. Source: ABACA
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