It’s hard to overstate how much is at stake in the Australian government’s handling of the arrest of writer, commentator and Australian citizen Yang Hengjun in China. A limp response from the government risks not only Yang’s safety, but could also jeopardise much broader goals. It would send a message to Beijing that our commitments to freedom of speech, to international agreements and to our ability to set domestic policy without foreign interference are negotiable.

Captured Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun. Credit:Tanya Lake

Yang’s arrest, under the charge endangering national security, fits a pattern of unacceptable and reckless international behaviour by Beijing over recent months. Following Canada’s arrest of an executive at Chinese telecom giant Huawei, Beijing arrested two Canadians for “harm to national security” and re-tried another, upgrading his sentence for drug smuggling from 15 years to the death penalty.

China’s ambassador to Canada later admitted those arrests were an act of retaliation, and the timing of Yang’s arrest can hardly be a coincidence.

Beijing is trying to send a clear message: we are willing to break the rules to punish and coerce countries that get on our bad side.