News: China says Australia should stop interfering in Yang Hengjun case

BEIJING, March 25 (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Australia should respect China's judicial sovereignty and stop interfering in the case of Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun, who faces prosecution for espionage.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said earlier on Wednesday that Australia strongly objects to Yang's formal indictment and said the writer continues to be held under "unacceptable conditions". She also complained that Australian consular officials have been denied access to Yang since end-2019.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters during a daily briefing that Yang's legitimate rights have been fully guaranteed and that consular visits for foreigners have not been arranged by relevant authorities due to the coronavirus epidemic.