Overview

• Yang Hengjun, detained in China since 2019, has written a letter to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese seeking medical transfer and reunification with his family.
• The letter, dated January 2025 and publicly released this week, highlights Yang’s gratitude for Australia’s diplomatic efforts and his emotional resilience in prison.
• Yang, a pro-democracy blogger, was handed a suspended death sentence in February 2024 after a closed-door trial on espionage charges, which he denies as baseless.
• Australian leaders, including Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, continue to advocate for Yang’s release and access to proper medical care amid concerns over his worsening health.
• Yang’s case underscores broader issues of judicial opacity in China, human rights concerns, and its impact on Australia–China relations, which have shown signs of gradual improvement.