Part ONE: Locked up in China — Cheng Lei on state paranoia and staying sane in isolation

Jun 4, 2025

Cheng Lei, a Chinese-Australian journalist once with a state broadcaster, shares her gripping story of being detained for three years on espionage charges in China. She reflects on the absurd nature of her accusations and the harsh realities of isolation, forced confinement, and psychological manipulation. Cheng reveals how she maintained her sanity by practicing German and rationing her mental resources. She also discusses the emotional toll of being separated from her children and the oppressive nature of Chinese state security, providing a profound insight into her harrowing experience.

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ANECDOTE

False Espionage Charges Story

Cheng Lei was arrested on false espionage charges after a meeting call at work.
They accused her of sharing state secrets by texting parts of a public government report early to a friend.

INSIGHT

Reality of RSDL Detention

The so-called "Residential surveillance at a designated location" is a harsh form of solitary confinement.
She was watched 24/7, unable to close her eyes, and kept in a padded cell to prevent self-harm.

ANECDOTE

Mental Survival Techniques in Isolation

To stay sane, Lei created a radio show in her mind and recalled every address she lived at.
She played vocabulary games and rationed books as a form of mental survival.

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When journalist Cheng Lei was detained by Chinese state security agents, she thought would be freed within the week. Instead, she was held on absurd espionage charges for more than three years, much of that time spent in isolation.

When Cheng Lei moved back to the country of her birth after the dramatic opening up of China to the world, she was a part of something exciting and historic.

That all changed after Xi Jinping came to power, and Australia's relations with China deteriorated.

In this first episode of a two-part series, Lei explains how eventually, she found herself detained on bogus espionage charges, and held for more than three years in a Chinese detention centre.

For the first six months of her detention, Lei was isolated and alone except for the rotating female guards who stood over her 24 hours a day.

Lei was not allowed to speak to these guards, she was forced to sit on the edge of her bed for 14 hours a day, she had to ask permission to do anything, she was not allowed to close her eyes and intermittently she was taken to a room, tied down in a chair and interrogated about allegedly sharing state secrets with foreigners.

Lei learned how to ration books, she practised German vocabulary, wrote scripts in her head and thought of her two children to stay sane under torturous conditions.

Further information

Listen to the second part of Richard's extraordinary conversation with Cheng Lei here.

Cheng Lei: A Memoir of Freedom is published by HarperCollins.

Cheng Lei: My Story is a documentary made by Sky News Australia. It is available to stream at SkyNews.com.au.

Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. This episode was produced by Meggie Morris.

Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website.

This episode of Conversations explores CCP, Covid, propaganda, communism, paranoia, Marise Payne, Scott Morrison, family separation, career changes, jail, justice system, Chinese Communist Party, embassy, diplomatic relations, CCTV, state broadcaster, media, television, news anchor, single mothers, trade, tariffs, books, writing, motherhood, parenting, Tiananmen Square, personal stories, origin.