On November 16, the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents’ Club (TFCC) will host a book talk with Chinese-Australian journalist and author Cheng Lei, who spent more than three years in detention in China on espionage-related charges before being released in October 2023.
Cheng will discuss her experiences of reporting in China, her detention, and her eventual release, as recounted in her book A Memoir of Freedom, published in June 2025. A Chinese edition of the book (《如果牆能說話：她在國安牢獄的1154天》, 季風出版 JF Publishing) was published in October this year in Taiwan. The conversation will also explore press freedom, the challenges of reporting from China, and the broader implications of her experience for foreign journalists.
The discussion will be moderated by TFCC director-at-large Emily Y. Wu. Prior registration is required.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Nov. 16 (Mon)
Time: 6.30–8pm (doors open at 6pm)
Venue: GIS Taipei Tech
Language: English
Rules: On the record; TFCC members-only; video recording embargoed until Nov. 24
Registration: https://forms.gle/vkoZngUHubCNh9pX7
A selection of snacks and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Cheng Lei is a Chinese-Australian journalist who has reported on China for over 20 years. In 2020, as Australia-China relations hit a low point, she was detained by the Chinese government on espionage-related charges. Diplomatic efforts led to her release in 2023. She received the Press Freedom Award from the Australian Press Council in 2024 and was named The Australian newspaper’s Australian of the Year in 2023. Cheng currently works for News24 (formerly Sky News) in Melbourne and is the incoming president of Melbourne PEN.