China claims to have captured Australian spy

China has officially charged an Australian man with espionage after detaining him for the past seven months. Yang Hengjun, a former diplomat and popular political commentator, could receive a death sentence if convicted. Yang became an Australian citizen in 2002 but was living in New York as a visiting scholar at Columbia University. China has also banned his wife, Yuan Xiaoliang, an Australian permanent resident, from leaving China.

What’s the relationship between the countries? Australia and China have maintained strong trade ties, but Yang’s case could force the Australian government to take a tougher stance against Beijing. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Yang was not a spy and the government was “very concerned and disappointed” about the charges. China warned Australia not to intervene.

Dig deeper: Read June Cheng’s report on the Chinese government’s use of surveillance to crack down on dissent.