[xoxoxoBruce]

One of the comments from casimendocina's link.

The only problem is that the man is being charged under Chinese law for offences he (allegedly) committed in China. Judicial sovereignty is supreme in this case--and especially in this case, in a jurisdiction with which nobody dares to argue.
If the federal government goes in to bat for him, they have to do the same for any Australian citizen held anywhere in the world on a (seemingly) dodgy charge.
Has anyone asked the question: what if the Chinese have it right, and he has a case to answer?
Honestly, as filthy and repressive a regime as it is, China is accepted (for reasons of money and fear) by the world community; therefore, its sovereignty will be respected.
The other solution is to arrange a “coalition of the willing” to invade the oppressive, ideologically-driven, violent, murderous regime, and to establish democracy in that land.
Oh, that’s right: we only did that, post-WW2, in Iraq (a small, reasonably easy target), the “success” of which hangs on a daily knife-edge. No western nation or coaliton ever had the guts to try it with Russia.
Word of advice: if you don’t want to get locked up without charge, or for the most specious of reasons, avoid China, the middle east, Russia, many African “nations”, and anywhere there is a dictatorial regime. Do your business elsewhere: in commercial, democratic countries, for example. I mean, how hard can it be?
Every time I hear of an Australian tourist or businessperson wallowing in an Asian gaol, I think: why on earth were you there in the first place? Even if you had a good reason (money, adventure, culture, whatever), you must have known that it might go pear-shaped at some time. Justice and rule of law operate almost randomly in those countries.
Just stay away from them.

Amen.