China said a publisher from Taiwan has come under investigation for alleged involvement in activities that hurt national security, an event that risks worsening already fraught relations between the two sides of the strait.
(Bloomberg) — China said a publisher from Taiwan has come under investigation for alleged involvement in activities that hurt national security, an event that risks worsening already fraught relations between the two sides of the strait.
Authorities involved in Li Yanhe’s case will ensure his rights are protected, Taiwan Affairs Office spokeswoman Zhu Fenglian said Wednesday at a regular news briefing in Beijing, without providing further details on his detention.
Officials in Taipei will talk to Li’s family about how they want to deal with the situation, Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported, citing Chiu Tai-san, head of the Mainland Affairs Council.
Li moved to Taiwan from China years ago, Radio Taiwan International reported, and his family lost track of him in March while he was visiting relatives in Shanghai. Writers and others affiliated with the Gusa Press publishing house in Taiwan have released a statement calling on Chinese authorities to release him.
Li has published several Chinese-language bestsellers. Among those books are a translation of China’s Crony Capitalism, which explores issues such as corruption and wealth inequality.
He is the second person from Taiwan whose detention has caused a stir in the island of 23 million people. On Tuesday, the democracy’s premier, Chen Chien-jen, urged China to free Yang Zhiyuan, who was arrested in 2022 in the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou.
Yang was detained on charges related to “splitting the country,” the state-backed Global Times of China reported, adding he was also suspected of endangering national security. Yang is the co-founder of a minor political party in Taiwan.
Read: Homeland Security Chief Orders Reviews of AI, China Threats
Separately, the head of Taiwan’s National Security Bureau, Tsai Ming-yen, told lawmakers Wednesday that China could use new AI technologies to spread disinformation on the island.
“We are watching closely whether China will use these new technologies,” he said, “especially during the period leading up to elections.”
Taiwan’s voters will choose a new president in January next year. China has pledged to bring Taiwan under its control someday, by force if necessary. Earlier this month, the People’s Liberation Army held military drills around the island to show Beijing’s displeasure at President Tsai Ing-wen meeting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on a stop in the US.
On Friday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the agency would initiate a wide-ranging review into threats posed by China as part of an inquiry into the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.
The sudden expansion of AI tools like ChatGPT has forced governments worldwide to grapple with the ways they could significantly change people’s lives.
–With assistance from Jing Li.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.