The Chinese government yesterday said that rights campaigner Lee Ming-che (李明哲), who has been detained on suspicion of endangering national security, was in good health and that it had reassured his family in a letter.
Lee is a staff member of Wenshan Community College in Taipei, a former Democratic Progressive Party employee and is known for supporting human rights. He went missing in China on March 19, and Beijing later confirmed his detention.
Lee’s case is still being investigated, Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) spokesman Ma Xiaoguang (馬曉光) told a regular news briefing in Beijing.
“At present, Lee Ming-che’s health is good, and there are no concerns about medical care. He has clearly explained the relevant situation to his family in a letter,” Ma said.
Lee’s family and the government have been frustrated at not being told where Lee is being held, and Ma did not answer when asked about his location or give further details of the charges Lee could face.
Lee’s wife, Lee Ching-yu (李凈瑜), was barred from traveling to China earlier this month after saying she received the letter through unofficial channels and that she could not verify the letter was from her husband.
A potential diplomatic confrontation was averted last week, after a Chinese activist who had reportedly intended to seek asylum in Taiwan flew back home.
National Immigration Agency officials had apprehended Zhang Xiangzhong (張向忠) after he left his tour group and he requested political asylum.
The Mainland Affairs Council said that Zhang did not meet the requirements for “special long-term residency,” and that he left on Wednesday last week after his asylum bid was rejected.
Ma confirmed that Zhang had arrived in China and that authorities were investigating the case, but he gave no details.
Additional reporting by staff writer
Three batches of banana sauce imported from the Philippines were intercepted at the border after they were found to contain the banned industrial dye Orange G, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. From today through Sept. 2 next year, all seasoning sauces from the Philippines are to be subject to the FDA’s strictest border inspection, meaning 100 percent testing for illegal dyes before entry is allowed, it said in a statement. Orange G is an industrial coloring agent that is not permitted for food use in Taiwan or internationally, said Cheng Wei-chih (鄭維智), head of the FDA’s Northern Center for
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
LOOKING NORTH: The base would enhance the military’s awareness of activities in the Bashi Channel, which China Coast Guard ships have been frequenting, an expert said The Philippine Navy on Thursday last week inaugurated a forward operating base in the country’s northern most province of Batanes, which at 185km from Taiwan would be strategically important in a military conflict in the Taiwan Strait. The Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted Northern Luzon Command Commander Lieutenant General Fernyl Buca as saying that the base in Mahatao would bolster the country’s northern defenses and response capabilities. The base is also a response to the “irregular presence this month of armed” of China Coast Guard vessels frequenting the Bashi Channel in the Luzon Strait just south of Taiwan, the paper reported, citing a
About 4.2 million tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of this year, a 10 percent increase from the same period last year, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. The growth continues to be consistent, with the fourth quarter of this year expected to be the peak in Taiwan, the agency said, adding that it plans to promote Taiwan overseas via partnerships and major events. From January to June, 9.14 million international departures were recorded from Taiwan, an 11 percent increase from the same period last year, with 3.3 million headed for Japan, 1.52 million for China and 832,962 to South Korea,
RSS