Tony Shih, a retired associate professor at National Taiwan Normal University, has reportedly been sentenced to 3-4 years of detention in China. Shih traveled to China in August of last year before going missing. It is now being reported that he was detained in Beijing for alleged national security reasons.
Close friends and family of Shih say that they were informed of his sentencing in April. However, they say they have kept quiet because they do not want to worry Shih’s mother, who is in poor health.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council says that the Criminal Investigation Bureau has reached out to its counterpart in China. The government is now urging Chinese authorities to allow Shih’s family to visit him on ethical grounds.