Journalist detained in China for three years returns to Australia

Cheng Lei worked for the international department of China’s state broadcaster CCTV (Ng Han Guan/AP)

A Chinese-Australian journalist who was convicted on espionage charges and detained in China for three years has returned to Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said.

Cheng Lei, 48, worked for the international department of China’s state broadcaster CCTV. She has been reunited with her two children in Melbourne, Mr Albanese said.