‘It’s Not Right’: Former CCP Political Prisoner Calls out Deep Fear of Beijing in Australia

‘The fear goes to so many people that they sometimes don’t feel that it’s fear anymore, or they don’t think they’re losing their freedom this way,’ said Lei.

Former political prisoner of the CCP, journalist Cheng Lei, during the launch of her book, A Memoir of Freedom, at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia on June 17, 2025. AAP Image/Dean Lewins

BRISBANE, Australia—Journalist Cheng Lei, who was arbitrarily detained by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for over 1,000 days, warns that fear of Beijing still runs far and deep in Australia.

“Sometimes when I’m with Chinese Australians, there will be this [situation]: If we’re taking a group photo, a few will opt out because they say, ‘I’m going to China soon.’ And that makes me feel weird,” Lei told an audience at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane.