Australia Plans to Press for Detained Writer's Release

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is planning to raise the case of a detained writer with Chinese leaders. The decision comes after the writer's sons sent out an open letter pleading for help to secure their father's release. "We’re very sympathetic and understand the concerns that they would have for their father and for this Australian who have been detained now for a long period of time," Mr. Albanese said.  Yang Hengjun is an Australian blogger. He previously worked for Beijing's Ministry of State Security. He often campaigned for democracy in China, but has avoided directly criticizing authorities. In 2019, Mr. Yang was arrested under so-called espionage allegations from Beijing. According to the open letter, he has endured hundreds of interrogations over the course of 18 months—including six months of severe torture which left him in critical condition. Mr. Albanese is set to travel to Beijing on Saturday and meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday.