Taipei: The Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) on Sunday announced it will continue to monitor the case of Taiwan-based publisher Li Yanhe (also known as Fu Cha), who has reportedly been indicted by Chinese authorities after being detained for nearly two years.
According to Focus Taiwan, Li, the editor-in-chief of Gusa Publishing, was detained by Shanghai police in late March 2023 under suspicion of engaging in activities that threaten national security, as stated by China's Taiwan Affairs Office. Li, a Chinese national, had reportedly returned to China in order to cancel his household registration, which is necessary for obtaining permanent residency in Taiwan.
Since his detention, Chinese authorities have been reticent about the case's proceedings, with recent reports suggesting that Li has been secretly indicted. The SEF refrained from commenting on the rumored indictment, stating only that it has been assisting Li's family according to their wishes and will continue to monitor the situation while providing necessary support.
Chinese prosecutors have classified Li's case as a "major national security" issue. Miao Shengming, a senior prosecutor in China, mentioned at a news conference last month that authorities were handling an important "incitement to secession" case involving Li. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has previously described Li's case as being used by Chinese authorities as a "symbolic propaganda example."
Li was born in 1971 in Liaoning province, China, and relocated to Taiwan in 2009, founding Gusa Publishing the same year. As the current editor-in-chief, Li is married to a Taiwanese woman and has been a legal resident of Taiwan since 2013. Gusa, affiliated with the Book Republic Publishing Group, has published works critical of the Chinese Communist Party or addressing its taboos over the years.