Taipei: The case of a Taiwan-based publisher who was put on trial in the People's Republic of China (PRC) on "separatism" charges last month is being used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for propaganda purposes, according to Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC).
According to Focus Taiwan, the MAC stated that the trial of Li Yanhe, a Chinese national who operated Gusa Publishing, is intended to suppress Taiwan's publishing, academic, and cultural circles and instill a chilling effect. The MAC emphasized that the case illustrates the nature of the CCP's dictatorship system and warned Taiwanese citizens about the risks of traveling to the PRC.
Li, as the editor-in-chief of Gusa, an affiliate of Taiwan's second-largest publisher Book Republic Publishing Group, published several books critical of the CCP. The MAC recognized his significant contributions to Taiwan's publishing industry. Born in 1971 in China's northern Liaoning province, Li relocated to Taiwan in 2009 and established Gusa that same year. He is married to a Taiwanese woman.
Li, also known by his pen name Fu Cha, was detained by police in Shanghai in March 2023 on suspicion of engaging in activities that jeopardize national security, as reported by China's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO). The TAO announced on Monday that Li was tried for inciting to split the country, with the public verdict given at the Shanghai First Intermediate People's Court on February 17, 2025. This statement marks the first mention of a trial by Chinese authorities in Li's case.
The length of Li's sentence remains undisclosed. The MAC asserted that the trial's outcome was predetermined and labeled the TAO's claim that Li received legal rights under the PRC's judicial system as false. The MAC also mentioned having full knowledge of the case but is withholding further details at the request of Li's family.
Later on Monday, a support group for Li expressed disappointment and shock over the trial news, describing the secretive legal process he faced in China as opaque.
