PRESS CONFERENCE
Cheng Lei, Journalist Detained in China
Presenter at News24 and president of PEN Melbourne
14:00-15:00 Tuesday, November 24, 2026
Language: The speech and Q & A will be in English.
In August 2020, Cheng Lei was a reporter at Chinese state television CGTN in Beijing when the security police came calling. The police accused her of leaking state secrets and after a trial, she was jailed. She slept on a wooden bed and was separated from her two children during her three-year sentence. She is now free and has written a book about her ordeal called "Cheng Lei: A Memoir of Freedom."
Born in China, Cheng migrated to Australia with her family when she was 10 years old. She interned at the Chinese state media company CCTV, and in 2012 she began working for CGTN, where she had an audience of millions reporting on China's biggest economic and political stories. Then came her arrest.
She was detained on charges of supplying "state secrets to overseas organizations" after sending a short private text about a speech by a Chinese leader. Agents of the Ministry of State Security blindfolded her and drove her to a secret location, where they interrogated her and cut off from all contact with her family and friends. She said she became a pawn in the diplomatic disputes between China and Australia.
Come hear Cheng speak about her arrest and trial, the state of journalism in China and her life since she was released in 2023.
How to attend:
Please register by emailing front@fccj.or.jp with your name and the name of your media outlet. FCCJ members should also include their membership number. Doors will open 15 minutes before the event.
Livestream: A URL link will be provided to Club members. Please inform us in advance at front@fccj.or.jp so we can send you the link.
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/am3qNPYDC9gdWp2XA
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Doors open for TV crews only at 30 minutes before the event.
Professional Activities Committee