Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) is demanding China to release Taiwanese activist Yang Chih-yuan (楊智淵), who has been arrested on charges of secession. Chinese authorities approved a request to arrest Yang on Tuesday, after detaining him in Wenzhou since last August.
Yang is the Taiwan National Party’s vice chairman and an advocate for Taiwan’s independence. He was detained in China shortly after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, a meeting which Beijing condemned. China Central Television said at the time that Yang was a criminal suspect for endangering national security.
MAC says it has repeatedly asked Beijing since August to allow Yang to safely return home. The council says it has not received a positive response, but it continues to monitor the situation and maintain close contact with his family to provide assistance.
The council adds that China arbitrarily arrests Taiwanese people, which violates their rights and interests and damages cross-strait relations. It says that people traveling to China should be aware of the safety risks.