Cheng Lei (Chinese: 成蕾; pinyin: Chéng Lěi; born June 1975) is a Chinese-born Australian television news anchor and business reporter.

In September 2020, after she had been detained by Chinese authorities in mid-August, a government official said Cheng Lei was "suspected of carrying out criminal activities endangering China’s national security", but no details about the accusations were provided.

[17][18] According to an article in the South China Morning Post, it was "one of the few occasions that state media has personally targeted the US president since the start of the trade war, with most reports taking a less confrontational tone.

"[18] On 22 August 2018, the video was removed from CGTN's official YouTube and Twitter accounts, hours before Chinese and American representatives met in Washington to discuss the trade war.

[18] On 14 August 2020, the Government of Australia received a formal notification regarding the detention of Cheng Lei in China, which was later confirmed in a statement by the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne.

[19] Australian public news broadcaster ABC reported that she was being held under "residential surveillance", which allows the Chinese officials and authorities to keep detainees in secret custody for a period of up to six months without charge, and deny visits by family members or lawyers.

[27] Another spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, told reporters on 8 September that Cheng Lei was "suspected of carrying out criminal activities endangering China’s national security".

[30][31] On 12 December 2020, the European Union appealed to the Beijing National Security Bureau to release "all those arrested and detained in connection with their reporting activity", including Haze Fan of Bloomberg News and Cheng Lei, or grant them access to defense attorneys according to international law.

[35][36] In June 2022, Xiao Qian, the Chinese ambassador to Australia, denied that Cheng was a political prisoner, and described the detention as an "individual case" which "should not be a problem" affecting China-Australia relationship.

[38] Speaking in London on 2 May 2023, where he was attending the coronation of King Charles III, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese noted that the 1,000th day of Cheng's incarceration was approaching on 9 May.

In an interview with Piers Morgan, Albanese stated: "Our position on China has been to engage constructively but to continue to put forward that the impediments to trade should be removed, to say very directly to President Xi, that Australians such as Cheng, need to be given proper justice, and that they’re not receiving that at the moment.

[42] In June 2024, Australian Prime Minister compared Julian Assange's release to that of Cheng Lei and economist Sean Turnell, who was taken prisoner by Myanmar’s military government for 650 days.