INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Sydney: An Australian journalist who disappeared from Chinese state television's airwaves six months ago and was detained by Beijing
authorities has been formally arrested for "supplying state secrets overseas".Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Monday that
mother-of-two stands accused of "illegally supplying state secrets overseas", Payne said in a statement, without providing details.Cheng had
been a familiar face on CGTN's English-language channel, conducting interviews with noted CEOs from around the world.Born in Hunan
province, she emigrated to Australia as a child, before returning to China and joining the state broadcaster in 2012.She now faces severe
punishment if found to have broken China's national security laws.Her niece Louisa Wen told Australian broadcaster ABC that the family did
said, adding that it had been "quite tough on the kids wondering what's going on".Cheng's detention came as relations between Australia
and China cratered.The timing and lack of information about charges raised speculation that her detention was politically motivated, or
tit-for-tat retaliation.Beijing has reacted angrily to Australia's liberal use of foreign interference laws to block Chinese investments
for an independent probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, responding with a slew of sanctions against Australian
exports.Cheng's detention came weeks after Australian authorities raided the homes of Chinese state media journalists.Two Australian
journalists, Bill Birtles and Michael Smith, fled China shortly after being interrogated about Cheng.Payne said the Australian government
had visited Cheng six times since she was detained -- most recently on January 27 -- and had "serious concerns" about her "welfare and
international norms," she said.Cheng was the second high-profile Australian citizen to be held in Beijing, after writer Yang Hengjun was
arrested in January 2019 on suspicion of espionage.Her detention sent shockwaves through China's foreign journalist community.She had
written a number of Facebook posts critical of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Beijing's approach to the coronavirus outbreak.One post
poked fun at Xi's visit in March to Wuhan, the Covid-19 ground zero: "The big story today, Dear Leader's visit, triggered titters in the
