Few would have seriously expected the Chinese appeal court to do anything other than confirm both the conviction and sentence of Australian businessman James Peng. The only hope now is that Chinese authorities will have a change of heart and deport him, rather than make him serve the 18 year sentence, as they did earlier this year in the case of Harry Wu, the American human-rights campaigner.
Unfortunately, for Mr Peng his case is very different. Mr Peng appears to have incurred the personal ire of some people close to the Chinese leadership for out-smarting them in business matters. Mr Wu, on the other hand, was an idealist who upset the leadership in a general political way, not in a personal business way. Further, Mr Wu could draw on much greater clout from his home country.
Australian diplomats are in a very delicate position. Dramatic actions or out-bursts might make us feel good, but they might be counter-productive. Rather the Chinese leadership has to be persuaded that the continued jailing of Mr Peng causes among Australians … both in business and generally … a deep suspicion of, disrespect for, and hostility to China and that that is not in China’s long-term interests. One can only hope that that realisation comes quickly before long-term damage is done to Sino-Australian relations.