Make the most of anything. Laugh through the tears.
Born in China, Cheng Lei came to Australia at age 10.
Bilingual and bi-cultural at a native level, she switched from an accounting career with multinationals like Cadbury Schweppes and Exxonmobil in Melbourne to journalism, in which she worked for 20 years.
She then took a 90% pay cut to start in television journalism in China, going from intern to presenter in three months. Within 18 months became a China Correspondent for CNBC, the world's most prominent business TV network, working in Shanghai and Singapore. Lei witnessed and reported on China’s economic leap for nine years, speaking to hundreds of Fortune 500 CEOs and major figures in politics and economics.
Then returned to China's English channel, CGTN in Beijing, as a presenter for the Global Business show.
In August 2020, she was detained by Chinese authorities on suspicion of espionage, but no details of the accusations against her were provided. Lei was detained until October 2023, when she returned to Australia and reunited with her family.
Talking Points
Making the Most of Nothing
How does one find strength, hope, and courage in solitary confinement, facing a merciless system alone? And how does laughter persist in a realm designed for tears?Making the Most of Nothing
In this poignant Keynote, Australian journalist Cheng Lei shares her transformation from presenter to prisoner during her 1000+ day detention in China. She reveals the methods she employed to navigate the shock, pain, and profound mental anguish that ensued.
Discover the strategies that enabled her to endure Groundhog Day-like repetition, forge connections, seek understanding in her captors, and uncover pockets of creativity and enjoyment amidst gratuitous cruelty.
As Lei forges ahead in life, she has
resurrected her shattered existence, infusing purpose into her fractures by embracing gratitude and vulnerability.
Attendees will be moved, energised, and empowered by her story and will be inspired to pursue a more purposeful, compassionate life.
Video
What I Learned About Freedom in a Secret Chinese Prison | Cheng Lei | TED
Accused of leaking state secrets, journalist Lei Cheng was imprisoned in China for more than three years, where she was detained in tight quarters and kept under constant supervision. “Freedom is wasted on the free,” she says, recounting how she and fellow inmates found joy in the smallest of moments: the smell of rain, a poem delivered in secrecy, kindness where it seemed undeserved. She distills the unexpected lessons that confinement taught her — and challenges us to rethink what freedom really means.Cheng Lei: A Memoir of Freedom | Wheeler Centre
In A Memoir of Freedom, Cheng Lei recounts the harrowing experience of her arrest and detention in China, where she was imprisoned for over three years under charges of sharing state secrets. A respected business reporter at a state-run English-language broadcaster, Lei was held in solitary confinement, cut off from her children and family, and denied basic freedoms – all while enduring intense psychological pressure. Now free and back in Australia, Lei reflected on her journey through the Chinese legal system and the emotional, intellectual and physical toll of captivity. Watch this conversation with James Scullin where Lei speaks with clarity and courage about her experiences, resisting black-and-white narratives and offering a deeply nuanced view of life under authoritarian rule – and the cost of dissent.Australian journalist Cheng Lei speaks on her arrest in China | 7.30
For a long time, the case of Australian citizen Cheng Lei who was imprisoned in Beijing, was caught up in the intense politics of Australia's relationship with China. Cheng Lei was recently released after spending three years in detention. She speaks to 7.30’s Sarah Ferguson about her extraordinary and at times terrifying experience.Cheng Lei: Would You Ever Return to China? | Q+A |
Q+A | Patricia Karvelas asked Cheng Lei if she would ever return to China after being imprisoned?
