The Chinese judicial authorities have approved the arrest of Australian citizen Cheng Lei on suspicion of illegally providing state secrets to foreign countries, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at press conference on Monday, adding that the case is under investigation.

China handled the case in accordance with law and fully protected Cheng's rights and interests, said Wang.
China hopes that Australia will respect China's judicial sovereignty and stop interfering in China's handling of cases in accordance with law.