Calls renewed for release of Chinese-Australian journalist

BEIJING (AP) — Journalist groups are renewing calls for the release of Chinese-Australian business reporter Cheng Lei on the eve of her trial in Beijing on espionage charges. Formerly a leading presenter for China Global Television Network, Cheng has been held for 19 months on suspicion of relaying state secrets abroad. It’s not clear if Australian diplomats will be permitted to attend her trial. In a joint statement, Australia’s Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, the International Federation of Journalists, the Australian National Press Club and its U.S. counterpart said Cheng was being held on “dubious charges that have yet to be substantiated with any evidence.” The groups say they “condemn her arbitrary detention and the secretive trial process she has endured.”