Taiwan says holding Chinese asylum seeker for questioning, not ruling out deportation

Record ID: 645557

  • Title: Taiwan says holding Chinese asylum seeker for questioning, not ruling out deportation
  • Date: 18th April 2017
  • Summary: TAIPEI, TAIWAN (APRIL 18, 2017) (REUTERS) EVENT TO COMMEMORATE 30 YEARS OF CROSS-STRAIT EXCHANGE SPEAKER BEHIND PODIUM REPORTERS TYPING ON LAPTOPS MAINLAND AFFAIRS COUNCIL MINISTER, CHANG HSIAO-YUEH WALKING TOWARDS PODIUM CHANG SHOWN ON SMARTPHONE SCREEN CHANG HSIAO-YUEH TALKING BEHIND PODIUM PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURES (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) MAINLAND AFFAIRS COUNCIL SPOKESMAN, CHIU CHUI-CHENG, SAYING: "He has already been apprehended by the National Immigration Agency because of leaving his tour group and illegally immigrating. He is currently being held for investigation by the Immigration Agency. According to regulations, we will have an investigation phase, related departments will conduct the necessary investigations in the afternoon regarding the case of Zhang Xiangzhong. Only after we have enough information about the case and a grasp of the whole situation, will we decide about the direction of the following steps." VARIOUS OF CHANG HSIAO-YUEH HANDING OUT DOCUMENTS ON STAGE OFFICIALS LOOKING ON CHANG SHAKING HANDS ON STAGE PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES EVENT IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 2nd May 2017 05:41
  • Keywords: Taiwan China asylum detention
  • Location: TAIPEI, TAIWAN
  • City: TAIPEI, TAIWAN
  • Country: Taiwan
  • Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016CXDWSL
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Taiwan's government said on Tuesday (April 18) that a Chinese activist seeking asylum has been apprehended for questioning, and could be deported if it is found he is in the country illegally.
    Immigration authorities located Zhang Xiangzhong on Monday (April 17) night, according to an official of the National Immigration Agency. Zhang had disappeared after he left his tour group without notice last week.
    Asylum seekers from China are an uncommon occurrence in Taiwan, as China usually restricts travel by political dissidents to the island and Taiwan is geographically isolated from China by water, offering few opportunities for defections from the mainland.
    Taiwan does not officially offer asylum to Chinese, but occasionally allows "long term" stays which permit Chinese political refugees to remain in the country. There are currently only about 10 Chinese political refugees in Taiwan.
    Zhang was jailed for three years for participating in the New Citizens' Movement in China, before being released in 2016. His potential defection could further exacerbate tensions between Taiwan and China, whose relations have strained since Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen took office last year.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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