Cheng Lei, an Australian national, who had worked for a Chinese media outlet, was deported from China, after serving a sentence of two years and 11 months for illegally providing state secrets to a foreign agency, China's Ministry of State Security announced on Wednesday.

Cheng was born in June 1975, and was originally employed at a Chinese media outlet. In May 2020, Cheng was lured by a member from an overseas organization. In violation of the confidentiality agreement signed with her employer, she illegally provided the foreign organization the state secrets that she grasped during her work using her mobile phone, the ministry said.

In August 2020, Beijing State Security Bureau took criminal measures against Cheng after an investigation. Cheng confessed the facts of the crime, and voluntarily pleaded guilty. The No.2 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing, through trial, sentenced Cheng to an imprisonment of two years and 11 months, plus deportation. Cheng did not appeal, according to the authorities.

The Chinese judiciary have made judgments lawfully, and fully guaranteed the rights of the parties concerned in accordance with the law, respecting and implementing the consular rights of the Australian side, including consular visits and notifications, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Wednesday.

The No.2 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing sentenced Cheng to two years and eleven months in prison and deportation for illegally providing state secrets overseas. Cheng was deported by the Beijing State Security Bureau after finishing her sentence in accordance with the law, said Wang.

When asked if Cheng's case will help better China-Australia ties, Wang said that China's stance on China-Australia ties has been consistent. Healthy and stable bilateral relations are in accordance with the interests of both countries and both peoples, as well as regional and global stability. China is willing to work with Australia to push for the continuous improvement of bilateral ties, Wang noted.

Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center at East China Normal University told the Global Times on Wednesday that the Chinese judiciary authorities have followed legal procedure in this case, and Western media should not make a fuss over the matter as anyone who violates Chinese laws will be dealt with accordingly, whatever his or her nationality is. 

The case should not be directly linked to the improvement of China-Australia relations, Chen said, as the matter is not a "transactional deal" for mending ties, and the improvement of bilateral relations should not be based on individual events, as such a foundation would certainly not be stable. Nevertheless, Cheng's case serves as a "constructive signal" for China-Australia relations. 

China and Australia should not only maintain the steady and positive momentum of bilateral relations, but also go beyond stabilization to promote a continuous improvement and development of ties, as relations are at an important moment for a new start, Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said at the Asia Briefing LIVE 2023 Organized by the Asia Society Australia in Melbourne on Wednesday.