New York, March 26, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a three-year prison sentence handed to Taiwan-based radio host and publisher Li Yanhe on charges of inciting separatism, and calls on Chinese authorities to allow the media to work freely.
Li, who is a Chinese citizen and goes by the name Fucha, was arrested in March 2023 by national security officers, then held in secret detention after he returned home to visit relatives in the financial hub Shanghai.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, which is responsible for relations with the self-governing island, said Li was convicted by a Shanghai court in February and fined 50,000 yuan ($6,900), office spokesperson Chen Binhua told a news conference on Wednesday. He said the publisher pleaded guilty and did not appeal.
“China must stop persecuting journalists for their work and release Li Yanhe,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi. “The free flow of information is vital for societies to flourish. China’s crackdown on press freedom will not help the world’s second-largest economy to achieve peace and prosperity. Let Li Yanhe be reunited with his family.”
After he immigrated to Taiwan, Li founded Gusa Press, which has published books critical of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. He also hosts a program on Radio Taiwan International about Chinese politics and current affairs. Gusa Press said it was “saddened“ by the sentence and declined to comment further.
Taiwan and China split in 1949 during the civil war that brought the Chinese Communist Party to power in Beijing. The Chinese government claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes what it views as separatist activity on the island, which has not declared formal independence.
China was the world’s largest jailer of journalists, with at least 50 behind bars, in CPJ’s latest annual prison census on December 1, 2024.
This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.
CPJ Staff | Radio Free (2025-03-26T16:12:06+00:00) China jails Taiwan-based publisher for 3 years on separatism charges . Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2025/03/26/china-jails-taiwan-based-publisher-for-3-years-on-separatism-charges/
Please log in to upload a file.
There are no updates yet.
Click the Upload button above to add an update.