Cheng Lei (journalist)

Cheng Lei
Cheng Lei
Born	Error: Need valid birth date: year, month, day; Yueyang, Hunan, China
Occupation(s)	Television news presenter, business journalist
Years active	2002–present
Known for	Anchor for China Global Television Network (CGTN), China correspondent for CNBC, presenter and columnist with Sky News Australia

Cheng Lei (; born June 1975) is an Australian television news presenter and business journalist originally from China. From 2012 until 2020, she was a leading anchor for the Chinese government’s English-language broadcaster China Global Television Network (CGTN) based in Beijing, where she hosted the program Global Business. Before this role, Cheng spent nine years as the China correspondent for CNBC. She is currently engaged as a presenter and columnist with Sky News Australia.

In mid-August 2020, Chinese authorities detained Cheng, and by September, an official announced she was "suspected of conducting criminal activities that endanger China’s national security," though no further information was provided. The International Federation of Journalists criticized her detention as unjustified and expressed serious concern. In February 2021, she was formally charged with allegedly transmitting state secrets abroad, a statement confirmed by Australia's foreign minister Marise Payne. Cheng was eventually freed and returned to Australia in October 2023.

Early life and education

Cheng was born in Yueyang, Hunan, China, in 1975 and relocated to Melbourne at the age of 10 when her father undertook doctoral studies. She enrolled at the University of Queensland in 1992 to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce degree, completing it in 1995. Cheng holds qualifications as a certified practising accountant and is also accredited as a Chinese-English translator. Although her passion was journalism, her father advised her to study accounting for greater employment stability, doubting that an Australian broadcaster would hire a reporter of Chinese origin.

Career

Cheng started her professional journey in Australia in 1995, working as an accountant for Cadbury Schweppes, later joining ExxonMobil as a business analyst in 2000. Between 2000 and 2001, she moved to Shandong, China, taking on a business analyst role at Luneng Finemore Logistics, a transport company.

Unfulfilled by finance roles, Cheng shifted to television journalism in China. In 2002, after successfully completing a screen test for CGTN’s predecessor, CCTV, she joined as an intern and advanced to on-camera presenter within three months. Beginning in 2003, she spent nine years as the China correspondent for CNBC, reporting from both Shanghai and Singapore. She returned to CCTV in Beijing in 2012.

Cheng has served as host for significant occasions such as the Australia China Business Awards in 2013, the APEC Women Leadership Forum in 2014, and the Norway Asia Business Summit in 2019. In 2014, she appeared on the Australian panel show Q&A.

Her journalism has included coverage of major events like the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing and the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. Throughout her career, she has interviewed prominent personalities including Bill Gates, José Manuel Barroso, John W. Snow, Rodrigo Rato, and Richard Branson.

In 2018, Cheng featured in a satirical CGTN video addressing the China–United States trade war, where she ironically expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump for actions benefiting China. This clip stood out as one of the rare instances of direct state media satire targeting Trump during the trade dispute. The video was removed from CGTN’s official YouTube and Twitter channels shortly before negotiations between Chinese and American officials took place in Washington regarding the trade conflict.

Detention

On 14 August 2020, the Government of Australia received official notification regarding Cheng Lei's detention in China, a fact later confirmed by Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne. According to reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Cheng was subjected to "residential surveillance," a measure permitting secret detention for up to six months without formal charges or family visitation rights. Although Australia's foreign ministry refrained from confirming this directly, diplomatic officials were able to communicate with Cheng through a video call on 27 August.

For nearly two weeks, her detention remained unpublicized until media outlets began reporting on the matter, prompting CGTN to remove her profile from its website. This event intensified strains in Australia-China relations. On 31 August, the Committee to Protect Journalists called on Chinese authorities to either clarify the reasons behind her detention or release her immediately. The International Federation of Journalists and Human Rights Watch Australia voiced deep concerns, raising the possibility that this could be an instance of hostage diplomacy. Observers drew parallels with the detentions of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor following Canada’s arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou. Minister Payne described such comparisons as "speculative at best."

During a press briefing on 1 September, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying stated she had "no specific information" about Cheng’s situation. On 8 September, spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced that Cheng was "suspected of engaging in criminal activities endangering China’s national security," without providing further elaboration. Meanwhile, two Australian journalists based in China—Bill Birtles (ABC) and Michael Smith (Australian Financial Review)—were subjected to investigations by Chinese state security in connection with Cheng's case.

On 12 December 2020, the European Union urged Beijing’s National Security Bureau to release all detained journalists, including Cheng Lei and Bloomberg’s Haze Fan, or at least allow them access to legal representation in accordance with international law.

In February 2021, Minister Marise Payne revealed that Cheng had been formally arrested on charges of "illegally supplying state secrets overseas." Having been held since August 2020, her arrest occurred on 5 February 2021. Her family reported that she endured multiple interrogations and experienced deteriorating health during detention.

After 19 months in custody, on 31 March 2022, Beijing No.2 People's Intermediate Court conducted a closed-door trial hearing. Australia's ambassador Graham Fletcher was denied entry to the court citing "national security" concerns.

In June 2022, Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian refuted claims that Cheng was detained for political reasons, describing her case as an "individual matter" unlikely to impact diplomatic relations between China and Australia.

1,000th Day of Incarceration

In April 2023, Chinese authorities postponed Cheng Lei’s sentencing for a fifth time, extending the delay by an additional three months. On 2 May 2023 in London, while attending King Charles III's coronation, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese drew attention to the imminent milestone of Cheng’s 1,000th day in detention on 9 May. In an interview with Piers Morgan, Albanese reaffirmed Australia's commitment to constructive engagement with China but urged President Xi Jinping to ensure fair treatment for Australians like Cheng. Her partner, Nick Coyle, consistently appealed for the Australian government to tie progress in trade negotiations with China to the resolution of cases involving Cheng and fellow detainee Yang Hengjun.

Release

On 11 October 2023, Prime Minister Albanese confirmed Cheng Lei’s liberation and subsequent return to Australia. Upon arrival at Melbourne Airport, she was welcomed by Foreign Minister Penny Wong. After her release, Cheng shared with ABC's 7.30 program that she endured what she described as a "sophisticated form of torture" during her imprisonment.

In June 2024, Albanese drew parallels between the releases of Cheng Lei and economist Sean Turnell, who had been held by Myanmar’s military regime for 650 days, and the case of Julian Assange. This analogy generated debate among members of the Australian opposition.

Personal life

Cheng acquired Australian citizenship in 2003 and is fluent in both English and Mandarin. She is a mother of two children.