Taipei asks Beijing to return lieutenant

Taiwan yesterday asked China to return a suspected military defector at the same time it is considering granting political asylum to a Chinese defector.

The Straits Exchange Foundation asked China's Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait to help find Wang Yi-hung (王宜宏) and deport him to Taiwan.

Wang, a lieutenant from the army's missile defense command, flew to China on Oct. 7 with his family after traveling to Thailand for a vacation.

Media in Taiwan have said Wang had run up huge debts and had complained about corruption in the military.

Wang's suspected defection to China coincides with the defection to Taiwan by a Chinese democracy activist.

On Monday, Tang Yuanjun (唐元雋), 45, a labor activist, swam from Xiamen's coast to Tatan to seek asylum.

His defection has put Taipei in a dilemma as it tries to improve ties with China.

Mainland Affairs Council Vice Chairman Chen Ming-tong (陳明通) said yesterday Taipei will properly handle Tang's case according to the judicial system and out of respect for human rights.

"Tang took part in a pro-democracy movement, but we have to verify if the man who swam ashore is the true Tang Yuangchun," Chen told reporters.

"We need to make further investigation and will properly handle the case," Chen said.