TAIWAN ACTIVIST SEIZED: China Arrests Pro-Independence Supporter After Pelosi Visit
Authorities in China have detained a man they said is an independence activist.
The move comes after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.
Yang Zhiyuan, 32 – said to be a long-time supporter of independence in Taiwan, according to Chinese state media – was detained in the port city of Wenzhou, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province and could face the death penalty.
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He is being held on charges of suspicion of endangering national security.
The charges come as furious China takes revenge measures in response to Pelosi’s high-profile visit to the disputed territory.
Beijing says Taiwan is a rebel breakaway region of China, while Taiwan says it is an independent state.
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China has accused Yang Zhiyuan of being a Taiwanese separatist and has held him on suspicion of endangering national security, according to Chinese state media.
The 32-year-old has also reportedly been accused of being a long-time defender of Taiwanese independence and of being the founder of a Taiwanese Nationalist Party, said state-controlled media.
If convicted, he could reportedly face the death penalty.
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Beijing has reacted with fury at Pelosi’s trip to Taipei, initiating a series of aggressive military exercises near the island and imposing economic sanctions on Taiwanese businesses and people.