China: A Taiwanese businessman, who took photos in Shenzhen, was arrested by China and sent to jail for more than 1400 days. BBC has reported the case of Lee Meng Chu who was picked up by the Chinese police and imprisoned for ‘stealing state secrets.’ Chu is currently in Tokyo where he is resting after the 4-year ordeal. Chu told reporters at the Haneda airport in Tokyo, “I almost cried when I passed through immigration just now.” He promised he would never return to China. While speaking to The Washington Post, the Taiwanese businessman recalled how China uses coercion, force and trickery against people they believe have worked against the country.
Arbitrary arrest
Chu’s troubles began when he visited China in 2019, around the same time when troubles had started in Hong Kong. Just before his China trip, Chu made a brief stopover in Hong Kong where he saw protests against China. He also says he passed some pamphlets of support to the demonstrators. After his Hong Kong visit, Chu travelled to Shenzhen in southern China to meet a friend. While in Shenzhen, Chu took photos of the city from his hotel. When he was leaving the city, Chinese border control stopped him at the airport. They saw several video cameras in Chu’s baggage. The Chinese border police also saw several ‘objectionable material’ in his baggage.
Flimsy evidence
Based on this ‘evidence’, the police first detained the Taiwanese businessman in his hote room for 72 days and later sent him to jail. Chu was also forced to say an apology on Chinese television for stealing secrets of the ‘Motherland.’ Beijing says Taiwan belongs to China. China routinely stops foreign nationals from leaving the country on flimsy charges. It uses these arbitrary detentions to bargain with foreign countries.
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