Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe (李延賀) has been sentenced to three years in prison, fined 50,000 yuan (US$6,890) in personal assets and deprived political rights for one year for “inciting secession” in China, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua (陳斌華) said today.
The Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court announced the verdict on Feb. 17, Chen said.
The trial was conducted lawfully, and in an open and fair manner, he said, adding that the verdict has since come into legal effect.
Photo: Screen grab from Facebook
The defendant reportedly admitted guilt and would appeal within the statutory appeal period, he said, adding that the defendant and his family have been clearly informed about the sentence.
During the execution of the sentence, the relevant authorities are to ensure that the rights of the defendant and his family are protected in accordance with the law, Chen said.
He said that as a spokesman, he is unwilling to disclose further details.
Chen also accused the Democratic Progressive Party of repeatedly bringing up this judicial case in an attempt to slander and discredit China’s judicial system.
Li, also known by the pen name Fucha (富察), worked as editor-in-chief of Taiwan-based Gusa Press (八旗文化).
Li was born in China’s Liaoning Province and obtained Taiwanese citizenship after living in Taiwan for many years.
He returned to Shanghai in March 2023 to cancel his household registration, but was arrested by police, most likely because Gusa Press has published books that are critical of China’s autocratic regime.
In April 2023, Beijing confirmed that Li had been detained “on suspicion of engaging in activities endangering national security.”
Since then, China has never publicly announced the progress of Li’s trial, apart from announcing on Tuesday last week that he had been convicted in a “public sentencing.”
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
Taitung County is to launch charter flights to Malaysia at the end of this year, after setting up flights to Vietnam and Thailand, the Taitung County Government said yesterday. The new charter flight services, provided by low-cost carrier Batik Air Malaysia, would be part of five-day tour packages for visits to Taitung County or Malaysia. The Batik Air charter flight, with about 200 seats, would take Malaysian tourists to Taitung on Dec. 30 and then at 12:35pm return to Kuala Lumpur with Taiwanese tourists. Another charter flight would bring the Taiwanese home on Jan. 3 next year, arriving at 5:30pm, before taking the
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
An exhibition celebrating Taiwan and Japan’s comic culture opened on Saturday in Taichung, featuring a section that explores Taiwanese reproductions of Japanese comics from when martial law limited Japanese representation. “A Century of Manga Culture: An Encounter of Taiwan and Japan’s Youth” held its Taiwan opening ceremony at Taichung’s National Taiwan Museum of Comics after an initial one-month run in Japan’s Kyoto International Manga Museum between May 24 and June 24. Much like the Kyoto exhibition, the show mainly celebrates the comic connection between Taiwan and Japan through late Taiwanese comic book
RSS